


The Right Side Of History

by Nines_Jameson



Category: Hermitcraft RPF, Minecraft (Video Game)
Genre: Actually Beta read like what?? Since when, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Alternate Universe - Wings, Angst, Angst and Feels, Blood and Violence, Character Death, Characters being reckless, Crossover, Dream needs help badly, Gen, Magic, POV Multiple, Stabby stabby time, Swearing, Watchers, original lore
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-08-18
Updated: 2021-01-05
Packaged: 2021-03-06 00:07:34
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 25
Words: 42,176
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25974148
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Nines_Jameson/pseuds/Nines_Jameson
Summary: Dream is a Watcher. Things are good on his server, well mostly, until he notices another nearby server start going haywire. Then their admin vanishes, and he decides it's time to step in. From there he must over come his past, and think ahead to be able to defeat what lies ahead.Inspired by DreamSMP and Doctor Sirens Snapshot AU!Check her out here: https://youtu.be/Tu7AJlGnhsA
Comments: 108
Kudos: 375





	1. New Servers

**Author's Note:**

> Moving this here since it turned out a lot longer than originally planned lol.
> 
> Snapshot AU inspired this and full credit to Doctor Siren for her AU.

Dream frowned slightly seeing a small server pop up with an extreme spike in the use of magic. It caught his attention for a moment, but he shrugged it off. He leaned back in his bed as he glanced through a few domains that he had a connection with still. Most servers he had lost the ability to cross into after he had run away from the Watchers. But, a few servers remained untainted by the powerful beings' hands. Including his own. 

Normally a sudden increase in magic temporarily wasn't a big deal. It was pretty common to see around a big update, a server gaining or losing a member. Or of course, an admin needing to step in and influence the world. They were abnormal, sure, but nothing to be concerned about. 

However, over the next few days, it continued to raise, and fall, dramatic amounts. He was trying to figure out what the server was, when his friend, George, walked in startling him.

"Hey dude!"

"George!" Dream hissed annoyed, more so that he had accidentally reset the last several lines of code to open the server.

George winced at the harsh tone from his winged friend, who was currently hunched over a command centre, with his hair messy, and his hoodie rumpled.

"Sorry Dream. . ." he shrugged coming in and settled into the chair next to him. "You didn't show up to play with us today, and nobody has seen you for ages. Plus you've barely even come downstairs today. I've barely seen you _and we live together_."

Dream sighed softly and moved the glowing window to the side. Galactic, his natural language, flashed across the screen. Although George was right, he had holed himself in trying to solve this. 

About a year ago, when he and George moved in together, he had come clean on what he was. Well used to be. He was a "Watcher" a being that wasn't quite human. They were able to easily travel between servers, and dimensions. Most originated from either the Nether, or End. The first ones. These things would help guide servers to updates, or create them. Of course there were other powerful beings like them, who also had the ability to create world's, but Dream had never explained it.

George glanced at the cryptic screen, symbols rolling and shifting across the screen, sometimes in a fluid motion, and sometimes flashing rapidly. Curiosity got the better of him.

"Is this what you've been working on?" 

Dream nodded, brushing some blonde strands from his face. "This server, it's seen a huge influence of magic. And I can't pinpoint why. It doesn't seem to be the admin, and it's not a Watchers doing either."

"How do you know?" George started to ask but a cold glare from his friend was the only response he got. "R.. Right."

Dream sighed putting his head in his hands, "It's just weird. It's rare for so much of a server to be coded in Galactic. Something's really wrong."

"Could I help?" George offered.

"Help? Mmmmmmmmaybe? Do you know Galatic?" Dream raised an eyebrow.

"A little? I know a bit, why?"

"You get to play translator with me."

"What?" George furrowed his brow at the request.

Dream had pulled the single glowing panel into three "It's constantly shifting, but this seems static?" He was talking to himself more than to George.

He moved one that wasn't shifting it's images towards George, "This is a message. I need to figure out what's going on with the admin, but I need to dig for it. Could you translate this?"

George hesitated, he wasn't fluent in his friends language, but if it would help, and it meant he got some time with him, then he'd do it. He looked over the screen

ℸ ̣ ⍑╎ᓭ ╎ᓭ ||𝙹⚍∷ ⎓ᔑ⚍ꖎℸ ̣ , ╎ℸ ̣ 'ᓭ 𝙹リꖎ|| ⋮⚍ᓭℸ ̣ ʖᒷ⊣⚍リ.

∴⍑||? ∴⍑ᔑℸ ̣ ↸╎↸ ℸ ̣ ⍑ᒷ|| ↸𝙹?

||𝙹⚍ ℸ ̣ 𝙹𝙹ꖌ ᒷ⍊ᒷ∷||ℸ ̣ ⍑╎リ⊣ ⎓∷𝙹ᒲ ᒲᒷ, ᓭ𝙹 ╎ℸ ̣ ╎ᓭ ᒲ|| ℸ ̣ ⚍∷リ ℸ ̣ 𝙹 ℸ ̣ ᔑꖌᒷ ᒷ⍊ᒷ∷||ℸ ̣ ⍑╎リ⊣ ⎓∷𝙹ᒲ ||𝙹⚍

Dream relaxed a bit, one less thing he had to worry about. He managed to force the server to retrieve the member list and pulled that to the side. The main panel was the magic used in the last week. 

リ!¡ᓵ ⊣∷╎ᔑリ - ℸ ̣ ᒷꖎᒷ!¡𝙹∷ℸ ̣ ᔑℸ ̣ ╎𝙹リ

n!¡ᓵ ⊣∷╎ᔑリ - ᒲᒷᒲʖᒷ∷ ᓭ⚍ᓭ!¡ᒷリᓭ╎𝙹リ

n!¡ᓵ ⊣∷╎ᔑリ - ᒲᒷᒲʖᒷ∷ ᓭ⚍ᓭ!¡ᒷリᓭ╎𝙹リ

n!¡ᓵ ⊣∷╎ᔑリ - !¡ꖎᔑ||ᒷ∷ !¡ᒷ∷ᒲᔑリᒷリℸ ̣ ᔑ⎓ꖌ

The list continued, a mix of suspension, and permanently afk players. At least that's what it appeared to show in the code. He set it aside and pulled up the member list, this one thankfully in English. Two things immediately caught his eye.

First, there was no admin showing. Well there was, but it was bugged, and showed that the player no longer existed. That couldn't be right, without an admin, magic wasn't possible, nor an ongoing server stable enough to support players.

Something was deeply wrong, and codes weren't going to answer it, he looked at the name above the member list.

"George."

His friend glanced up. "Hmm?"

"We're going to Hermitcraft." 


	2. Hermitcraft?

Dream held George steady as the swirling purple aura dissipated from around the pair after the big server teleportation. George would be lying if he says he was anywhere near used to teleportation. As he had argued once it _is_ different from using Ender Pearls, even if the magic behind it was identical. Dream silently slid the pale smiling hand made mask over his face. It was an odd look, and creepy. There was something unsettling about just seeing a literal painted smile looking back that didn't change or falter.

Something about Dream, when he pulled the hood up, and was just quiet, it created an eerily cold presence to him. Like a silent threat of a killer pricking at the back of your neck. He pushed that thought away though, in no right mind was Dream dangerous to him. Dream was a protector, not a killer.

The pair glanced around as Dream retrieved a torch from his inventory, he held up the warm dancing light, harsh shadows scattering and fleeing from the firelight. They were underground somewhere, though judging by the dirt ahead, and faint light, they weren't terribly deep down, thankfully. As he was studying the mine they had spawned in, Dream pulled up a white panel on his arm. Silently scrolling through some information, most likely about this server. A small thought came back of _how on Earth can he see through that thing_ , and yet the smiling face studied the panel. 

_Hermitcraft_ Dream had called it, saying it had a little over two dozen members, all active, and all well experienced. Each "player" was unique, and some weren't even quite the normal human to his understanding. Ranging from your average builder, to well a living slime humanoid. All of the "hermits" as he had called them, had their own skills and ideas they brought to this world. Which all came together when they played on the server. But something had happened, what that something was? George had no idea, Dream had merely been vague and unwilling to share on that. 

* * *

Dream frowned a bit looking over the server list. Just as before, it seemed bugged, names shuffling and some appearing as though AFK, despite the information the server was pinging back, and just as before, there seemed to be an admin. But that was bugged too, the admin had no abilities or control. It wasn't who or what they were, but instead just some letters tacked to the beginning of their name. He scrolled through the list. 

"We need to find someone named. . ." He paused to check. "Stressmonster. She's one of four names that seem unaffected by this. So I'm assuming whatever's going on, hasn't affected her… In the same way. Hopefully." (George really didn't like how unconfident Dream sounded).

Dream's voice was muffled slightly by the cold mask, but he didn't mind. In fact he felt more comfortable like this if anything, he was anonymous, and nobody here would know who, or hopefully _what_ he was. 

They spent some time picking their way through the cavern, which led into a mineshaft, before finally spitting the pair to the outside world on the outskirts of a jungle biome. Above them was a small home, a starter base it seemed, carved into the hill side. It seemed to faintly resemble a face, perhaps that of the owner's. 

Every one of Dreams senses was on high alert, whatever was happening could just as easily hurt him if he wasn't careful, or worse, George. He had his sword sheathed on his hip, and he pulled his hoodie up over his hair as they stepped into the open. The bright green slightly blending with the vibrant and lush forest, even if a large portion of it had been removed. A massive building towered above them a few hundred blocks away. It looked nearly complete, giant wrench shaped structures proudly standing above the ground, with a huge overgrown and dilapidated tower in the center. The sun blazed above them warm and bright in the mid day sky.

A voice stopped the two in their tracks. Without hesitation Dream pulled George close against him and dropped to the ground. He used one wing to cover/shield him against whoever was passing. He strained to pick up on the passing conversation, peering over the small mound of dirt that was in front of them. 

" - have to keep a look out, you never know where one could be." The voice was deep, and seemed to be heavy with a German accent. 

A second softer male voice came in reply, "I-I know Doc, he took Jellie." The second seemed upset at the loss of this Jellie. 

Dream frowned watching carefully as the conversational strangers approached, though his mask hid his expression. The German one, Doc, he assumed replied.

"Hey, don't worry, she'll be ok, I'm sure he still will take care of her." He said in a soothing tone, this time easier to hear. 

A small sniffle came from the other, and he could finally see them approaching. The first was tall, probably around Dream's height, if not a bit shorter. His skin was a deep green, and his dark hair fell around mismatched eyes. Silver mechanical pieces glinted back under the sunlight, and a white lab coat hung loosely off the man's tall frame. The other was about 6 or 7 inches shorter than the first. A suit that looked like it was ripped from someone's early morning Saturday cartoons was donned on him. Brown fluffy hair looked unkempt and messy on him, he had his hands in his striped suit pants pockets. His green eyes looked sad, if he was closer Dream would almost guess he had been crying. 

George shifted underneath his wing and peaked his head up, only to be shoved back down immediately. He hissed in annoyance at the action, and Dream winced, ducking back down, turning to George.

"What?" Dream whispered angrily.

George was probably trying you to judge his expression because he took a second to reply. "Who's out there? I wanted to see!" 

Dream looked over again, barely peaking his hooded head out for a minute. "Two guys, one looks. . . Less than human, and the other like a cartoon mayor. Just hush!"

George looked like he was about to protest, but as the two strangers came closer, he kept his mouth shut.

Dream slightly propped himself up on his elbows, the two men had stopped a few feet away. Just in front of the nearest wrench building, halting under it's shade. The shorter of the two looked up, and spoke.

"I wonder if any of us will ever finish our base." He sounded. .. Sad.

Doc put a hand on his shoulder gently patting him. "Don't think like that Scar, this will all be fixed, we can bring things back to normal right? Gotta think positive."

The second, Scar, nodded with a sigh leaning against the building. After listening Dream took a chance, folding his wings behind him, letting George free, he brought himself to his knees. "If it's safe I'll give you a signal." His small notice was barely audible before he easily vaulted over the mound and approached the pairing. 

Both instantly were hostile. The one named Doc quickly drew his sword and pointed it towards Dream, his voice bristling with malice.

"Who the fuck do you think you are?" He snarled, the dark glinting sword told him it was netherite. 

Dream put his hands up casually, and he kept his tone even. "I mean no trouble buddy, let's just drop the weapon and talk."

The hybrid didn't budge, his grip tightened on his sword. "Why should I believe you aren't one of _them?"_

Dream paused, this could be a chance to gain some information on what was happening. "Them? Like hostile players?" He asked casually.

Apparently those were the wrong words as Doc stepped closer, Scar behind him seemed ready to draw a weapon if needed. "Don't play dumb _buddy."_ Doc spat. "You know exactly what I'm talking about, and that's why you're hiding your face isn't it?"

Dream held his ground, he waved his hands in the air, briefly holding up three fingers, his fore finger, middle and thumb. "I have my reasons for the mask. But I can promise you I don't mean harm." 

Doc was close enough, that if he wanted he could plunge the sword straight through Dream, but he didn't, yet. Thankfully George emerged as Dream lowered his hands putting them in his pockets. He put a hand on Dream's arm, glancing at them. But Doc wasn't having it and he narrowed his two mismatched eyes at them. The red robotic one just as hateful as his natural brown one, he studied George for a moment, hesitation evident in his expression, but he didn't lower the sword for an extra heartbeat or two.

Scar spoke quietly behind his protector. "Doc, look at his face… his hands. He isn't an npc. He isn't a hermit. I - I don't think he's gotten to them yet."

Doc glared between the two for an extra moment, before finally sheathing his sword, and Dream let out a breath he hadn't realized he'd been holding.

"How did you get here? And who the hell are you two?" His tone still wasn't inviting, even if he dropped the sword.

George spoke up, "I'm George, and this is Dream. And you're right, we're not hermits. We aren't from this server."

Scar tilted his head. "Then how did you get here? X doesn't have…" doc shut him up with a glare.

Dream sighed softly underneath the cover, honesty was the best policy. And on this server, possibly his life as well. "I brought us here. I'm not an admin, but I can travel between a few domains. I… I saw something went haywire here a few days ago. So I brought myself, and my friend George to investigate."

"And what makes you think you can do anything?" Doc frowned.

A leap of faith was all he had, he opened his hand, palm up with a dark brooch in it. It was made of Bedrock, and a deep violet bled from the carved symbol in it. "Because I am a Watcher."


	3. Can't we just talk?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Do I look like the kind of man who will die?

Dream picked his way through the underbrush, cursing the jungle's thick foliage as he kept his dark wings close against himself. Even so the occasional stray branch or vine would inevitably catch a few feathers. Earning a few swears and a few rumpled feathers. He finally reached a clearing and tilted his head. A little ways ahead, where the dense jungle finally gave way to a river and then across that, a plains, was a group of people. "NPC's" Doc had called them. Players who were altered, who were given items and powers they shouldn't have. Among the trio was a very short man. Who was probably at least a foot shorter than Dream. If not more.

He stood, sliding the mask back into place, he had moved it in the deep humidity of the jungle to the side, but it fell back into place where it belonged. He emerged from the woods, sword sheathed as he made his way towards them. The short man, Grian, was the ringleader of everything that had taken over this server. One in a suit with a red tie and blue eyes spotted him. The tall suited man glared and said something he couldn't hear. All three humanoids turned to face Dream. Perhaps a fight was in order. But, he had promised George he would try speaking with them first. Information Dream, if we can learn more it gives us an upper hand!

He approached, crossing the small bridge that arched over the small river. “Ah well aren't you just the people I'm looking for." He called loud enough for them to hear.

The tallest (and nicest dressed one. His name was Mumbo. What kind of name is that?) turned to him with red electricity sparking between his fingers. Dream put up a hand. "Now, can't we use our words like gentlemen?" He looked between the three. Grian stepped forward. 

"Who are you?" The red half human asked. Eyes narrow and wary.

Holy shit this guy is short. He's a fucking gremlin.

Dream smiled a bit at the thought, and looked down at him. "My name doesn't matter. I just came to talk." He said calmly. Glancing up slightly at the two that trailed behind the gremlin.

"I don't think you're in a negotiable position bud." The gremlin said snidely. 

He snorted, a laugh escaping him despite his efforts not to, "Wow you really think you're something." He shook his head.

This… made the NPC Grian angry. He raised a hand and gestured for the two goons behind him to attack. Dream sighed beneath the mask, adjusting it slightly. "Seems words aren't your personal strong suit. But…" He unsheathed his sword, the dark stone like blade glinting in the sunlight. "I'm fluent in kicking your ass."

He summoned a shield in his off hand as the pair rushed him. He blocked a blunt punch from the girl, who seemed more zombie mob than human. Her grin rivaled Dreams mask, to his left he swiped at Mumbo, ducking beneath a bolt of lightning. He could feel, and hear the air crackle with the burst of energy. He spread his wings, giving him balance as he fought off the two attackers. The one named Mumbo summoned a sword, the diamond shiny and bright. He jabbed at Dream, and it was clear, the man human or not wasn't a fighter. But the girl, she was still on him. He raised his shield blocking Mumbo only to be struck with a blow to the side. He clutched his sword firmly.

He counted their steps.

One heartbeat.

Two.

Three. He used his opening to stab his sword into the side of the zombie. Her face was at first confused, then shocked. And then terror. He yanked the sword back, crimson coating the weapon, and she stumbled backwards.

"Cleo!" Grian shouted, sounding shocked.

He had his back turned to Mumbo and felt a heavy weight pin him. He used his shield to try and block the blow, but was still forced back. His arms buzzing with pain from the electrical shock. His amusement turned to anger.

"As fun as this has been…” He huffed, hitting Mumbo with the hilt of his sword in the chest. "I think it's high time we finish this. Don't you think?"

Mumbo hesitated, and instead of attacking he backed off. Something in his eyes time Dream this was his chance. He was being let go, and he took it. His wings thumping hard as he shot into the air, putting his shield away for the time. He looked down, and Grian was angrily yelling at the other it seemed. But the girl, Cleo. She remained still and lifeless. 

He looked away from the scene focusing on where he was flying, and his next move. A small twinge of guilt rose in him.

The players, all of their coding that kept this world stable was scrambled. It was risky dying, but he had sealed her fate. When a Watcher wanted you dead, with busted code? 

Then that was that. End of the road, no respawning this time.

One down. Plenty more to go. 


	4. Stop It!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hardly think I'm qualified, to come across all sanctified.

George was outside a sort of temporary base. It was in the middle of the jungle buried a bit underground and covered with foliage to keep it from peering eyes. He was pacing near the entrance, worry for Dream nagging at his mind. Doc was a few feet away, having just emerged from the tunnel entrance.

"So you and this Dream guy?" He asked vaguely.

George turned and looked at the hybrid. The only other non human (not Watcher) he had met was the sweet BadBoyHalo. This man gave the opposite energy. His mismatched eyes burned, and his stance was always closed off. Not once had he even attempted to be friendly to George or Dream yet. Plus… he had the mouth to rival Dream during some of his days.

"What about him?" He turned looking at Doc and adjusted his glasses. 

He shrugged, simply. "You two just seem… close. And besides, he clearly dragged you here since you're no Watcher or admin. Plus you're not whitelisted so you didn't get here in your own terms."

He paused a moment, despite his looks, this guy clearly knew his stuff. "I mean we're friends. He trusts me a lot. So of course he'd bring me along on something like this."

"You just…" Doc waved his hand idly. "You trust him? Like honestly he gives off just this creepy vibe. And that's coming from the man who's half creeper and seen this server go to shit, I'm sorry but he's sketchy."

George chuckled a little and relaxed, "He just looks that way. He wouldn't hurt anyone for no reason. Trust me he's a lot less scary without the mask, he wouldn't hurt a fly of he didn't need to. It's kinda just the look he goes for when he's around people."

The thumping of wings in the air disrupted their conversation and Dream landed, a sword tightly clutched in one hand. Aside from a few scrapes and a small slash on his hand he seemed no worse for wear. But, in his hand, on his netherite sword, blood glistened on its edges still fresh, and Dream looked between the two silently. The scent of copper clung to him. Dream cocked his head turning his attention on Doc, and holding the others gaze for a long moment.

"Wouldn't hurt anyone huh?" Doc mumbled as he ducked back inside with a huff. 

Once the hermit was gone Dream sat down on a rock near George, using a cloth to clean the blade. Dream paused, and shifted his mask to the side. His blond hair becoming a mess between being wind blown and now the mask. He had a cut on his lip, as if he had fallen or been tripped.

"What happened?" George asked sitting beside his friend. 

Dream stared at George with a hesitant look, his green eyes wary. "I think it's better if we have numbers from now on." He said softly, gently touching a hand to his lip. 

"Why, what happened Dream?" George repeated the question, this time concern in his tone. He didn't care with the emotion edging his voice, Dream wouldn't kill without reason after all. Right?

A sigh and he wiped the last of the blood from the edges, his face cold, a frown twisting his features. "A fucking gremlin is running the show, problem is the guy always has someone, usually multiple others around him. Those NPCs. If he was alone I could probably punt him three yards." He laughed.

George couldn't help but smile and join in with a soft laugh as well, the joking eased the tense atmosphere, plus Dream's description was just goofy.

"So you found this Grian guy right?"

Dream nodded, a playful smile still there. "Yeah and well besides the lost angry child, the rest actually are a problem. I'm not sure which of those things know combat and which don't, and I'm not taking chances. We need Sapnap."

He was surprised at that, and in turn it took him an extra moment to respond. In this moment Doc returned with Scar at his side, Dream shifted his mask back into place, hiding his face again as he heard the approaching footsteps. When the two appeared, Scar spoke.

"So what's our game plan here? We should all plan right?" He asked tilting his head.

Dream looked up, and while his face was hidden, George could tell he was no longer smiling. "Well for one," he held up a finger with the number, "you let a tiny asshole child take your admin, and the server. Secondly there is no _we_ in this. You two aren't getting involved. Since you clearly can't deal with this yourselves."

Scar frowned, looking disappointed, "Language! And Grian… he singled us out at first and then just had numbers."

George couldn't help but think of BBH with the language comment. But then Doc continued, defending Scar.

"Look I don't know what kind of Server you two hail from, but around here we're pretty spread with our bases. So sorry Mr. Bitch but it's not exactly like everyone is within walking distance. So yeah we were all kinda singled out."

Scar glared at Doc with the Mr. Bitch comment, and beside him Dream tensed. He sheathed his sword and stood up, Doc had hit a nerve, and George tensed for what was about to come.

The problem was that Hermitcraft is a well established server. One that's been run for years under an Admin, a very capable one usually. Dream's SMP? It didn't have an admin, with instead a Watcher replacing that role, and Dream was still new to running a server. Even in the moment, there was infighting on there. With the 'nation' of L'manberg. The tall Watcher stared down Doc unflinching. He spoke, his tone cold and angry, and even George flinched. 

"You don't have a fucking clue how to run a server and clearly you can barely band together more than 4 people in the destruction of your own home!" Dream hissed bristling.

Doc stood his ground, glaring at Dream, "Maybe I don't, but I bet I'd do a better job than you! Because at least I don't just use intimidation to force people to listen to what I want!"

Both Scar and George shared a look, this could turn ugly, fast, and neither wanted to see that. 

Dream's wings flared outward. "I'd like to see you try! You'd start a slaughter before you can finish inviting everyone!"

Doc sneered, stepping towards the other green man. "You're an insane bastard who doesn't belong here and clearly doesn't have the qualifications to run a server! Let alone a group of people. I bet my ass I could fix whatever shit is going down back at your home!"

Dream growled lowly, it was an odd sound. Not something you would expect, not that deep, not from a human. "You know what?! Fuck you, you think you're so mighty fight me! Right here right now and I'll show your mob ass your place!"

George put a gentle hand on his shoulder. Trying to pull him away from the other, Scar was quietly mumbling something to the creeper as well.

"Dream, this isn't a battle worth it ok? Let's just focus on getting Sapnap." He said softly, worried that if this continued on for too much longer the two would go to blows. 

Dream looked down at him, the unflinching pale mask grinning back at him. But after a long minute, he finally relaxed a bit. Wings folding behind him he nodded slightly.

"You're right. This isn't getting us anywhere." He sighed.

Doc was being led away by the other, and yet clearly still spiteful he turned. "Crazed green bitch man." He spat angrily.

With a hand on Dream's back, George could feel the rumble of another growl from his friend, but he didn't respond. Instead letting the two hermits walk back into the base. 

Dream began walking back towards the cave they had arrived in.

"Wait where are you going?" George jogged a bit and caught up with the Watcher.

Dream kept walking not even looking at George. "I'm going to get Sapnap."

  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Huge thank you to Endyman for being my little planning Birdie ~


	5. Npg

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You got more than you gave
> 
> And I wanted what I got

The NPC Grian cocked his head as he saw a whitelist message appear on his communicator. He thought he had removed admin abilities when he teleported X into the closet. So how did someone new get added? No correction. _Two_ new people.

**_Dream Taken has entered the server_ **

**_George Found has entered the server_ **

He hesitated seeing the messages. If he saw them surely the remaining hermits had as well. Perhaps even those he had snapped away? No that was unlikely, and he pushed the thought aside.

He was sitting outside, not far from the original Grian's base, it was a bright and sunny day. A few fluffy clouds were blotted around in the blue sky, and a gentle breeze occasionally disturbed the leaves. Mumbo was beside him, his hair combed and neatly done. His suit looked nice in the sunlight, and as he settled on the grass waiting for Zombie Cleo to come along, he couldn't help but smile. Despite his concern over the weird server messages. _I don't think there's any hermits named Dream or George._ He thought to himself.

Shortly, the call of a female voice edged with a robotic tone caught the two NPC's attention. 

Cleo had her hair pulled back into a ponytail, a few stray red strands falling around her face. Her green eyes were as bright as the early day sun as she had her usual cheery smile plastered on her face.

" 'ello Mumbo! Good morning Grian!" She beamed as she met up with the two at the small hill.

She tilted her head a little, as she looked between the two. Grian popped up to his feet and began going over search party plans to try and track down the remaining hermits. However, the communicator in his pocket, and it's recent messages nagged at his mind like an incessant bug.

Mumbo noticed his leader's distracted look, and brought the conversation of their plans to a stop. He put a hand on the red boys sweater. "what's bugging you dude?"

Grian chewed his lip as Mumbo put a gentle hand on his metallic cheek, before coming clean. "This morning there were some server messages. Two new people joined in. I didn't add anyone, and Xisumavoid shouldn't have the ability to whitelist anyone. Yet they're here."

The engineer thought over what his buddy told him for a long moment. Silence drawing out between the trio when they heard a soft rustle in the trees. Mumbo swiveled towards the noise, eyes peering into the jungle where it seemed to have come from. He spotted a figure in the trees. 

A hermit. The man was in a green hoodie that blended with the foliage of the lush jungle. A white mask with a basic smiley face covered the man's actual face. He had a scabbard at his hip, and was wearing dark jeans. A set of Elytra were folded behind him. Shimmering lightly with what seemed to be an enchantment. 

"Grian, we've got company." Mumbo hissed softly.

All three cybernetic humans turned to where Mumbo was facing. The stranger seemed to study them for a minute. Grian watched as the tall man began walking towards them casually.

The green man's calm nature, mixed with most of his features being hidden gave him an odd look. His face was quite literally unreadable, and he was tall. Probably an extra foot or so on Grian, and he might have some height on Mumbo.

The masked jungle guy began walking across a small bridge that arched over the gap between the field hill, and the dense tree line, he waved his hand and called out, "Ah well aren't you just the people I'm looking for!"

He had a distinct American accent to him, his blond hair sticking out from under the hood and around the painted grin. Grian frowned, he sounded unusually calm and upbeat. Usually he was the one who could talk to the hermits like this. He didn't recognize the American's voice either. 

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Mumbo tense hands sparking with electricity. The green guy raised his hand calmly. "Now, now, can't we use our words like gentlemen?" He looked between the three. 

Grian stepped forward, not trusting him. Mumbo's eyes narrowed and he asked lowly, and warily, "Who are you?"

Cleo stepped beside him, ready to fight as well, the man replied. "My name doesn't matter. I just came to talk." He had a slight laugh to his voice as if something was funny to him.

His lip curled hearing the stranger, annoyance quickly rising in him. Once he was tired from Mumbo and Cleo, Grian could easily add him to his growing collection of other players under his command.

He squared his shoulders facing the non hermit. "I don't think you're in a negotiable position here _buddy_." He grinned.

The guy hesitated for a second, and for a moment Grian thought he had finally managed to start intimidating him. But then he laughed. 

_He laughed_. 

He put a gloved hand to his chest and finished his chuckle. "Wow you really think you're something don't you?"

Anger flared in his chest hearing the guy tell him that. He didn't think, he knew. He was powerful, he had something never done before. He had completely caused turmoil in a once peaceful server and took down an admin. When G didn't reply, the masked guy sighed softly. The sound muffled from his facial covering.

"Seems words aren't your personal strong suit. But…" He unsheathed his sword, the dark stone like blade glinting in the sunlight, "I'm fluent in kicking your ass."

The language caught him slightly off guard, as next to none of the hermits swore, but he shook it off. He raised a hand indicating for Mumbo and Cleo to attack.

Mumbo summoned the red lightning again, advancing on the guy. Cleo unsheathed her diamond sword, holding it for a moment before charging him. Grian sat back, a smug look on his face, and satisfaction at getting to watch a short fight that would end just like every other, with him winning and getting what he wanted. The man summoned a shield, guarding himself against Mumbo before turning heel and clashing swords with the zombie. His wings suddenly extended and he got a good look at the mans so-called Elytra. The wings were a deep purple. Being darker at the roots of feathers and near black. They were large and full of feathers, and from the way he easily moved with them. Two things became quickly apparent to Grian.

One: this guy was no novice fighter, he was skilled and possibly even better than False was. He was reaching quickly to both attacks, and retaliating with his own swipes and jabs. 

Two: his wings weren't Elytra. Whatever they were, whatever he _was_. It wasn't human, he wasn't a normal player. Sure that normally wouldn't be unusual, but the malicious presence that seemed to follow the man put Grian on guard.

He moved ready to jump in and help. Then things seemed to move in slow motion. He seemed to tense, like a cat ready to strike, and he did. He thrust forwards with a heavy footstep and the balancing of his wings. The dark sword no longer in the air, but instead buried and protruding from Cleos midsection. Blood glistened on its edges and was quickly spreading from the mortal wound. He twisted and yanked it out, and she shrieked in pain. Her sword clattering to the ground as she dropped.

Panic rushed through him and he dashed to her side. "Cleo!" He cried out as he caught her. Each breath rattling in her chest. He watched as Mumbo and the man fought for a few more moments, desperately clinging into Cleo.

Mumbo seemed to glance between the stranger and his allies, before backing off. The enemy took off with a few loud flaps from his wings, vanishing back into the forest he had emerged from. 

"Mumbo! She's hurt, she's really hurt!" His voice cracked, angry and upset. 

He suddenly got the thought to heal her with one of the sickly sweet red potions. But as he frantically checked his inventory Cleo wheezed for a few more moments before falling silent and still.

Her eyes glazed over as the last of her life she was clinging to slipped away. Her sharp breaths stilling, and her smile faded.

Tears sprung in his eyes as he held her body. Mumbo was at his side gently rubbing his back in an effort to comfort the NPC builder.

Mumbo looked at his friend's dead body, and realization struck him. She hadn't poofed on death. She was still here, and still very dead. She wasn't respawning, and she wasn't going to either. Cleo was dead.

And there was nothing that they could do to bring her back.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's 3 a mmmmm and I can't sleep please help me


	6. Sapnap and chaos

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> When you've got skin in the game, you play in the game.
> 
> But you don't get to win unless you play in the game

Dream glanced around the cave where he and George had first arrived at. He could sense the magic in the air, it hummed just beyond any visual perception, at his fingertips and alive with the pulse of the server and it's own source of magic. It was thick and heavy, different from his own server, and magic. He summoned the portal where he had brought George through, and the air crackled and thrummed with the violet and blue magic. It's bright glow danced along the stones casting away the nearest shadows. The portal sparked a few times before finally remaining steady. Forcing his way into the server was much harder than crafting an exit back to his own. Which was nice, considering the fact that he'd need to keep his energy up for combat, and strategizing.

As a Watcher he had access to open a bridge between servers if they were close enough of a domain. Of course basically punching a hole forcefully between worlds was never very stable, and never sustainable, if he was an admin it would probably be much easier (and safer) but he wasn't, and this was the best solution. Admins were lucky, they could always easily server hop without side effects or risking carrying something between worlds. They had a far greater reach than any Watcher could, not restricted by domains, or connections for some of the most powerful ones.

He stepped through the swirling magic and blinked against the sudden sunlight in his face, it was sunny, bright, and hot. He shifted his mask a bit to the side, and shielded his eyes against the light, being back home meant it was safer. It meant the mask didn't need to be part of him, at least in the moment. As he stepped through entirely and onto grass, the wooden pathway and Tommy's hillside house stretched in front of him. 

Dream pulled his hood up over his head, groaning internally at the location as he walked along the path, hoping that the teenager wasn't home, nor his close friend Tubbo. At the moment, the issue with L'manberg could wait, the battles were annoying sure. But at the end of the day, normally, nobody would be in immediate danger. No, he was here to get Sapnap and then leave, nothing else. He turned using his dark wings to glide gently down a few steep hillsides and to avoid prying the eyes from the others. A few members of this server knew what he was. For real. That list wasn't very long though, emphasis on few, and unlike in other servers, he couldn't pass his wings off as Elytra since nobody had any on here. So instead he ducked into the woods, despite his hatred of tree branches with the risk of snags, and carefully made his way to Sapnaps' base.

As he emerged from the tree line, he smiled seeing his friend. His dark hair was a bit messy with the wind, and he was chatting with another member, Purpled. Dream waved his friend down, calling to him from the hilltop, and folding his wings close, hiding them from the other. 

"Sapnap! Hey do you have a minute?" He shouted, waving at him.

Sapnap paused, turning to Purpled and apologizing, and the other just smiled and shrugged. “It’s alright Sap. We can chat later okay?"

Sapnap nodded, thanking him before jogging over to the green hoodied Watcher. "Hey Dream. What's up?"

Dream looked at Sapnap pausing for a second. "Let’s go to your place, you need some gear." He said calmly and began walking.

"And why's that?" The other gave a nervous chuckle as he looked at Dream, and seemed uncertain. 

Dream began explaining what he had told George. With the near server, their missing admin, and now of the NPCs that had been around. He concluded as he watched Sapnap gather his daggers and some armor. The dark plates glinting with the tell tale signs of enchantments.

"So let me get this straight." He said as he put the items in his inventory. "This Hermitcraft server or whatever, had a member rise to power, and disposed of the admin?"

Dream shook his head. "Kind of. The admin is there, and yet not. He's alive for certain, a lot of their players are like this."

He didn't mention Cleo and her death.

He didn't feel guilty or anything, but it did feel like if he mentioned it, this conversation would quickly go downhill.

Sapnap sighed softly as he adjusted his bandana on his head and began walking with Dream back through the woods. “And why are you helping?"

There was silence for a minute, and Dream had to think of how to reply. "I feel like… I'm responsible. Most of the time other admins or watchers would be able to jump in. But it's one of the hidden servers. Like ours. So, it'll crumble with how it's going. And innocent players don't deserve to die just because of some power hungry gremlin."

"So you want me and George to help you fix this?" 

Dream nodded as they arrived back at the world split. He cocked his head to the side curiously, he thought he closed the bridge, but here it was. Sparking brightly and hissing with magic, it was open, but unstable. Dream quickly took Sapnap, unsure if he'd be able to reopen it from this side, due to how draining it would be. 

"And by fix you mean dispose of the problem." Sapnap said calmly as Dream led him through the swirling mass of magic.

The darkness engulfed the pair as the bridge collapsed behind them with a loud pop, the cavern now empty save for them. The cave was dimly lit to their far left, where moonlight gently illuminated the gray stones and thick grass from an opening. The normal sounds of the jungle one would expect were replaced with the quiet babbling of a nearby stream and the occasional parrot chirp.

When the woods go silent, it's because a predator is near.

As they emerged from the mouth of the cave, Dream grinned brightly, perhaps a bit enthusiastically, "Welcome to Hermitcraft Sapnap. We have some NPCs to dispatch." 


	7. Closet Gang checkup

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> No thoughts, no prayers
> 
> Can't bring back what's no longer there

Xisumavoid sighed softly to himself as he lay against the closet wall. Time had become pretty meaningless over the last two weeks, and his heart was low. He saw the other hermits faces who were trapped in there with him. Grian seemed especially guilty looking today (or maybe it was tonight?). 

X scooted over to the small builder and put a gloved hand on his shoulder. "Hey, why don't we kill some more time?" He offered.

G just hesitated for a long moment, but nodded to the ex-admin as a response after a brief silence.

When he had been brought to this pocket world of sorts, Xisuma had been revoked of all his admin abilities. At least, in terms of actually using them. The magic in his veins was still there, but it felt faint. Duller than when he was out in the world among the servers.  _ His _ server. However, for whatever reason, he still was able to pull up the information board. A small white screen hovered above his arm.

There was never anything much on it. It had seemed glitched ever since NPG, as they had come to call him, started affecting the other hermits. Idly his little builder buddy leaned against him, his brown eyes lazily wandering on the list of names. 

Most were the same as always, but it was oddly comforting to read the player names. The little symbol beside their name shining brightly. Most had a !¡ Beside it. Which X had decided to teach to some of the others. It was  _ p  _ for a player. Xisuma had an ᔑ. It was representative of his admin status. The symbol was a bit bugged looking, but it remained there. 

As the pair sleepily scrolled through the names, X translating the unique language he paused. Not because it was suddenly hard to translate, no it was his mother tongue. 

What made him pause was two new names, and his brow furrowed slightly as he read them. 

**_↸∷ᒷᔑᒲ (∴)_ **

**_⊣ᒷ𝙹∷⊣ᒷ (_ ** !¡)

**_ᓭᔑ!¡リᔑ!¡ (!¡)_ **

He frowned a bit as he read the names to himself, and the smaller hermit noticed the bee's sudden shift in mood.

"What wrong X?" He asked, tilting his head.

He chewed his lip, "there's two players here. I don't recognize them. I didn't whitelist that, and NPG shouldn't have that power." The silent question of  _ how _ remained unspoken. 

"This server is crumbling apart." X said sadly, his voice cracking a bit with emotion. "My server, all my friends, and there's nothing I can do about it."

If he was unsettled by the additional names in the server list, the sudden ping on the communicator made his blood run cold. The other hermits around them shifted a bit as their own devices buzzed with the message. X read it, initially it didn't concern him, but he saw the server ping back.

_ Error: unable to respawn player _ .

The color drained from his face, as he swore under his breath frantically pleading that it was wrong. 

_ Error: Player respawn disabled by {unknown}. _

He shut his eyes, as he heard soft mumbles from around him with his friends raising concern at the message. Sure the NPCs had always been a bit brutish. Proven by the attack on False, but never… never had they killed.

But it wasn't an npc.

It was something far more dangerous.

**_ZombieCleo_ ** _ was slain by  _ **_Dream_ **

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This one is short, just a little excerpt this time! Sorry heh. Full chapter soon!


	8. Patrol

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I saw the body drop
> 
> On the 6 o' clock

George shook his head a bit, trying to free the stray leaf that had made his brown curls it's new home. Sweat beaded on his brow, making a few loose curls stick to his skin. It had been a week since Dream brought him to Hermitcraft, and so far, he liked it. 

It was very different from his own server, members here wanted (and had) giant farms for loot, mobs, and more. Not to mention the massive redstone machinery that sometimes became overwhelming from the sheer amount of noise that they produced. Beautiful builds, all hundreds of blocks tall and hundreds more wide were dotted around the server too. 

That was one thing that stood out to him the most, is while Hermitcraft was only slightly larger in member count than the DreamSMP, it was about a thousand times larger in the world's sprawling creations. Everyone here had advanced travel methods, most using Elytra from the End to travel the literal thousands of blocks between done people's territories, which both he and Sap were unfamiliar with due to Dream blocking the End in theirs. Most were skilled in using the strange wings, and a few members actually had natural ones like Dream's, although he didn't think it was because they were (or at least once upon a time were) Watchers. The few he had been told about ranged in their abilities, from only flight, to simple extra senses. One stuck out the most though, and that was Grian stuck out to him because he was one of the newest members, and was good friends with everyone (at least it seemed). His wings gave him a good advantage over everyone who had to go and collect an Elytra upon the boot up of a new server. He was chaotic, fun, and loving, or so he was told. The only Grian he knew about was the one they were having to face down, and was their target. NPG. 

At first, he and Sap had tried to figure out the wings, but after several crashes, and few close calls with the Android's, they had given up. The survivors native to here had been annoyed that travel by foot was one of the only options, but they had silenced their murmurings after George proved he was still able to nimbly travel across the rough terrain. Although he knew they were still probably annoyed about it.

"Mother fucker!" The deep German man cursing with a hiss brought George's mind back to the present.

The creeper player hybrid had gotten his foot tangled in a tree root and had fallen into the ground. He grumbled softly, getting up and dusting himself off, "I don't get why we got stuck with the only two people who cannot fly in this whole damn server."

"Language! For both!" His buddy Scar frowned at him as he corrected his fellow hermit.

That was another thing. They had decided to start scoping out the territory the NPC players had claimed, trying to track down hideouts, or gear they could use. As a group they decided that staying in numbers was the best idea. None of them wanted to be caught out alone, so groups of three and fours formed as their treks shifted. Currently there was Doc, and Scar, who were guiding them towards the shopping district, and George and Sapnap. Who both were on high alert. 

Sap looked over with a small laugh, his dark hair falling messily into his face and sticking to his forehead a bit from the humidity, escaping his white headband. "Man Scar, I think you and Bad would be good friends."

Scar looked at them, his green eyes curious, and he tilted his head a bit like a puppy. "Who's that? They almost sound like my brother." He chuckled thinking about his younger brother Bad Times With Scar. 

George shrugged. "He's a long time friend of ours, his name is Bad Boy Halo. He's always correcting our own foul mouths too." He chuckled thinking about it. 

"He's a hybrid, I think? He has a twin, but we've never met him very well, other than in passing. The guy, Bad, is a sweet guy though. And a good friend." Sapnap nodded beside George.

"A hybrid? How many fu-" Doc stopped himself shaking his head. "How many of the friggin races live inside of your server?" 

Sapnap thought for a moment, "Well, there's Dream, and Bad… but I think that's it. Because our server doesn't have an admin." He shrugged casually.

Both hermits however stopped in their tracks turning to face their visitor, Scar put his hands up. "Wait, wait, wait. You mean to tell me, you guys run, and live in a server that doesn't have an admin? At all?" 

George and Sap exchanged confused glances, with the first of them speaking. "Is that… a bad thing?"

Doc shook his head rolling his eyes, as if the question was dumb. "I don't think it's bad per say. It's just, well it's unheard-of, ever. Nobody is ever actually able to create a server stable enough to house multiple players like that, let alone having server hops. Not without at least one admin. If not several. I mean, like even if the only one got banned later, they were still there at some point."

George shook his head, pushing his glasses up on his face. "No, me and Dream were the first there… well Dream was first. Then we added Sap, and a few other friends. It's just grown from there."

Doc paused, but began walking again, Scar falling in step with the taller one. "I've said it before, and I'll say it again. I don't trust that man any farther than I can throw him." He said gruffly.

Sap glared a bit at the back of the Creepers head. “Why? All he's done is come to help. I mean sure - he did… kill one of those things, but he was in a fight."

Scar winced a bit as Doc snarled. "That thing was my friend! And unlike you fucks I actually care about who lives and dies! She didn't deserve that, and you both know it!" 

George glanced away, looking anywhere except his mismatched and hate filled eyes. “You're right… But we do care, Dream just goes… overboard sometimes." Not like this though he thought to himself.

Doc spat at the ground with a view and equipped his Elytra. The blasting sound of a rocket rattled the now silent air, and the man was gone. The branches shuddering where he had flown off and passed them. Scar looked defeated and put his hands in his pockets. He was wearing a brown jacket over his ridiculous get up at the moment, and a painful silence settled over them. 

Finally they paused for food, and a small break getting ready to head back to base. George settled onto a stone munching on the deli sandwich he had packed for himself. Sapnap and Scar were talking, the two seemed to get along fairly well. Sap with his love for magic, and Scar with his magic nature the two seemed to click well. He smiled a bit, when he heard a snapping of a stick with a few leaves rustling. He set the food down on his lunch bag, getting up to face whatever or whoever was in the woods. 

As he turned around the body of someone dropped onto the ground at his feet. A startled wheezing gasp escaping them, as they collapsed onto the ground. George jumped back startled as Dream stood behind the person from the woods. His head tilted a bit, and his sword glinting with coppery blood. Scar shrieked from beside them as he ran over.

"Mumbo!" He cried as he darted to his friend. 

As the magician shifted the stranger, who he now knew was named Mumbo, in his arms blood flowed from a wound in their side. By a glance, from all the duels he had with Dream, and other players he knew it wasn't lethal. But it would hurt like hell for quite some time. Mumbo was well dressed and gasping in pain. His black suit is now even darker with red. His hair was mussed, and he had a mustache on his face. As well as metal plating along his skin. George bristled getting ready to fight if need be.

Dream had shifted a bit, he hadn't even paid attention to the green man, but he was now standing over the strange hermit his sword aimed for a mortal blow. Sapnap's hand darted out and he roughly grabbed Dream. Dream whirled initially turning the bloodied sword on his friend, but after a moment's hesitation, he lowered it. Still not speaking.

Scar looked up terrified to the masked man, and for a heartbeat, George worried that they would come to arms and fight. Thankfully, they didn't. His hands glowed a full reddish orange color, and Mumbo shivered in his arms. George recognized the bitter and slightly sweet scent of healing magic. Scar turned an accusing glare on Dream.

"What is wrong with you?! You could've killed him! If Xisuma was here you'd be banned in a moment!" He pointed a finger, his voice a mix of anger, confusion, fear and sadness.

A low sound came from George's side, and it took him a minute to realize what it was that he was hearing. It was Dream, with his face hidden, he was growling. A low menacing sound that rumbled in his chest. George stepped in, taking his friend's arm, and gently guiding him away. Sapnap, he saw from the corner of his eye kneeled down and started helping Scar make sure the stranger was ok.

George looked up at Dream, and crossed his arms on his chest. Dream stared for a minute before seemingly getting the cue and lowering his mask, his green eyes blazing with a strange sheen to them. George gently reached out putting a hand on his shoulder. “What’s going on?"

Dream sighed, closing his eyes, and running a gloved hand through his hair, "I-I'm sorry. I don't… I don't know what got into me. I wasn't thinking clearly, it was like… like I was in a daze." He stuttered a bit.

George wanted to take his friend's side, but he stood his ground. "You need to apologise to both of them. And for growling at Scar." 

Dream laughed awkwardly, but he didn't. After a moment Dream went over replacing his white smiling mask as he turned and walked back towards the group. Scar turned a glare at him, if looks could kill Dream might've just dropped dead. Dream sat beside Mumbo, who was still shaken, but the fact that the man was still conscious was a positive sign. George decided to hang back a bit. He would jump in if things started taking a turn for the worse.

"I… I'm sorry. Mumbo is it?" Dream asked, his relaxed nature and soothing tone was his way of trying to seem not intimidating.

Mumbo looked up at him and nodded. Shifting so he was sitting next to Scar and giving a bit of space between him and the man who had tried to kill him. "Yeah. . ."

"Look, I. . What I did was wrong, but why are you here?" Dreams voice edged on anger, but if Mumbo noticed he didn't say anything.

The mustached man sighed softly. "I… I want to help."

"That's vague." Sapnap snorted and George elbowed him to shut him up. “Ow!"

Mumbo coughed a bit as he sat up straighter. "I'm an engineer. And NPG trusts… me." He gestured with his hands as he spoke.

Dream tilted his head. “So. . . What are you asking for?"

Mumbo sighed. “I can give information, I can help. But on one condition, no more of my friends get hurt. Cleo, and Tango didn't. . They didn't need to die." 

George was reeling, he didn't know Dream had killed anyone other than the Zombie girl Cleo, and a mix of emotions flared in him. Anger, sadness, betrayal, confusion, and others all mixed together in his stomach creating a churning feeling of unease. 

Dream was silent for a moment, seemingly contemplating the offer. "You help us take down the gremlin, and it's a deal."

Mumbo reached a hand out to shake,

"But, the moment you try to backstab us, and _ **I will not hesitate**_." Dream said lowly, the threat clear in his voice. 

Mumbo paused, but didn't retract his hand. "You can count on me." 

One could hear a bit of a smile to Dream's face, well if you knew him well enough. "Well then, it's a deal."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Reeeeee I cannot believe the support I've received on this! I may not reply to everyone but I see all your comments and they make me so happy!
> 
> Also another huge thank you to Endyman, and the group chat on discord for this for keeping me motivated, and giving wonderful (and angsty) ideas


	9. Optional

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> No this isn't a goofy chapter title, it's pretty literal.
> 
> Anyways read the first two paragraphs and decide what to do from there

Hello all you wonderful little muffins! I'm BadBoyHalo, but you can simply call me BBH. I know I know,  _ this normally isn't how these sorts of stories work _ you must be thinking, and dear reader you're right! We're talking a small little break to tell you a different kind of story!

Now for all you beautiful muffins who just want story and the lore isn't a big deal, feel free to just keep going on to the next chapter! At least after this paragraph. But, for those of you lovelies who would like to hear this world's history, stick around! Although for both of you do keep in mind that my little tale here will have no bearing on this book or plotline. So feel free to skip it! I promise you it won't take away from this story.

Ok ready?

So, we've already met a "big bad" Watcher here, but I'm afraid we've gotta start before they were a thing for this. Back in the very beginning,  _ alllllll _ the way back when buildings were small and with the residents to match, there was the first human race. A race of humans who had a deep love for their world. 

To them every server was beautiful, and all of its living residents were too, mean hostile zombies, or adorable pink pigs. Every life mattered, and for them they didn't have to worry about their end of life. They had freedom to every material in any amount, all at their fingers. Even nasties didn't pose a threat because they wouldn't attack.

They were The Crafters.

Of course, this utopian society can't live forever, even if we wish it could. The Crafters decided that they should create a new dimension, something completely different from their Overworld. A new place without being a separate server. So they divided, and created what we know as the Nether. Although back then it probably wasn't as scary with the whole being immortal thing and all that. At least I imagine, wouldn't you? Although maybe I'd like the Nether more like that.

Anyways! The Nether was much more hostile and inhospitable compared to the sweet Overworld. Some Crafters became angry that this dimension was made, they felt that by creating this, magic was going too far. A big nasty and awful war broke out between them. With all the anger and hatred, they were stripped of their immortality. Many began falling, and soon, they were forced to come to a peace. Neither side wanted to lose more friends and family.

The Crafters split apart. 

The half who felt like the creation of the Nether was wrong, vowed to never use magic again. Instead enjoying life and building, no longer able to fly or have any resources freely at their disposal as they pleased. They decided they should work for the things they needed. Of course a little bit of magic still lingers with them from their roots. We see this with things like respawns, portals and enchantments.

The other half split away, moving and living in the first and original Nether. They became experts in combat and strategizing. Pursuing learning magic, and simple illusions. These warriors evolved to be taller, and with the constant threat of lava, and limited resources, many learned conjuring. They grew wings making them easy to pick out among the others. (Although many didn't in the beginning)

These two groups became Players, and Watchers respectively. 

After Players gave up their magic, the Watchers took it upon themselves, with their strongest and best to create the new servers. World's for players to live and thrive in. Teams would look after these players and these worlds. However within a short time a big problem came about.

This was what we call server hopping. Now, today we all know just getting into someone's server can be a big no no, especially private ones. It's their home, and if it was open to anyone, you never know who may come and just bully players, or become destructive. Which isn't nice. 

So the Watchers came to another problem. Some didn't believe server hopping was an issue. Claiming that players should be free to roam and be where they please. If they got into terrible trouble that got them killed it was their own problem.

But then there were those who wanted to keep players contained, keeping bullies, griefers, and just strangers out of your home server, and I think you know what happened next. Can you guess?

Yeah

A war.

The Watchers were at odds, with many servers and Innocents getting caught in the crossfire. Entire servers were destroyed, and players left stranded in broken and unstable servers. Finally, those who stood against server hopping won. Being stronger and more competent in magic. Pushing back against their enemy until they had them cornered. So they made a deal, a cease fire.

If they remained in the Nether, and didn't make new servers or interfere then they could continue to guide and protect the servers. But, whitelisting was created, making it much harder to just freely travel the domains. Remember this for later!

Within a domain there are many servers, and most domains have Watchers that look after them, but of course there is always a slip up, and misses.

The winners decided that they would create new servers and individually look after their own residents. Needing a place to live they created the first End. This is where they decided to recreate their own society. These were the admins.

Admins, unlike the Watchers, were much more independent. They focused on creationism and healing over combat and destruction. An admin once they were strong enough can create a server within their domain. They can freely pick this, and have freedom over what kind of server they want. Admins were easily distinguished from players because of their small horns and tails they often possessed. Of course not everyone had them both, and they blend in much more than the Watchers. Who are defined by their large wings and height.

Sometimes though, there are rogues, and . . .ah well "accidents". These are where things sadly fall through the cracks.

You still with me?

Ok

So, these rogues, or  _ "abandoned" _ as people like to say still have their magic and looks, but they work alone, and behind the backs of their home race. There's also the hybrids but those are another problem. Private domains are created hidden away from the prying eyes of Watchers. Admins who choose to create worlds in these hidden domains run a very dangerous gamble. 

What is it?

They risk creating an infected server. Infected servers can easily spiral out of control. Of course how this happens can change, and is really hard to predict or judge. They're rare, but so are hidden domains.

Normally this isn't a problem, well a problem for outsiders at least. Many players can easily be granted a safe server hop to somewhere nearby, and from there they will recoup. Admins are a little less lucky and tend to struggle creating a new and safe server alone. If they try they run an even higher risk of just creating another infected server. 

Ok so now remember the whitelisting I told you to remember?

So the reason they were created was for one like I explained earlier, but, they also are a safety net. They prevent members from barging their way in to a server right?

This is when an infected server becomes a problem, when someone breaks a whitelist to one, they create a rift between their home server and the one they moved to. Which then runs the risk of infecting the intruder, who can carry it back home. Unfortunately as much as I'd love to keep explaining this, I'm afraid that big sign that's written in all caps saying  **SPOILERS** is blinking at me. So I'm afraid I must leave this here. 

I hope that I didn't miss anything and for all you wonderful little muffins reading this if you have any questions ask them below! I'll try my best to answer them! <3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter was a way of me getting to lore dump and such. Without clogging up the story too much at least, since many characters in this would already know this stuff.
> 
> Anyways like the ending said I can answer any remaining questions to the best of my ability without spoilers love y'all
> 
> Add (BBH) if you want be to reply more in character heh


	10. A flight for thoughts

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm way too young to lie here forever  
> I'm way too old to try, so whatever  
> Come hang  
> Let's go out with a bang

Doc bristled just thinking about the man, he had server-hopped, which in of itself was deeply wrong, and looked down upon from all and any races. Then he had stuck his nose into business that he had no hand in, and didn’t belong in. The masked man had shouldered his way in and put himself in between the hermits and the NPC’s. He shifted a bit, finally seeing the ending of the thick foliage and the ocean expanse ahead of him. He could just fly ahead of everyone else and meet back up at the shopping district. . . .assuming Scar made it that far.    
  
He scolded himself internally for leaving Scar alone with the deranged Watcher. He and Dream had had numerous arguments and Scar had been the only voice of reason, and probably was the only reason Doc hadn’t already tried to slit his throat and shove him back to his own server, where he properly belonged. His mind wandered to just a few days ago when he had confronted Dream on the mask.    
  
“What is it for anyways? You know hiding your identity around here isn’t exactly normal.” He had asked casually, but he supposed his uncertainty had leaked through into his voice.    
  
The canopy was heavy and dark, blotting out most of the lingering starlight and moonbeams that may have illuminated their small clearing. The hidden underground base a few paces away, and closed off. Dream was sitting silently on a fallen log, sharpening his sword, alone and outside. Finally, after several stretched moments of silence he answered.    
  
“What does it matter to you?” He was so calm, so even. It made Doc more angry, this thing couldn’t be human it never even showed any emotion other than the need for violence.    
  
“It matters to all of us hermits.” He corrected, “And I’m asking you because you claim you’re here to help, and yet all you’ve done is hurt someone and hide your own face.”    
  
Dream stiffened ever so slightly where he sat, “Cleo wasn’t supposed to die.” He replied   
  
Doc’s heart dropped, he had expected some sort of battle had gone down after the winged creature returned cold, and reeking of the coppery substance, and yet hearing it was Cleo of all people still stung. She wasn’t a fighter, at least. . . before she wasn’t. He couldn’t stop himself as he stormed forward and bristled.    
  
“What do you mean she’s dead?” He spat angrily.    
  
Dream cocked his head, turning slightly so he was looking at Doc, the cold white mask covering his face. It was taunting the creeper, how could he wear that damned thing when he was so  _ angry?? _

  
“I mean, she is dead. I killed her.” His tone was way to calm as if talking about cleaning dust of shelves.    
  
Doc stepped forward as he snatched the green hoodie, and forced Dream to his feet with a low snarl. “I don’t know what the hell you think you are, but this isn’t  _ your _ server, and you can’t just behave however the fuck you want and be ruinous!”    
  
Dream stared at him, and snatched Doc’s hands, his finger less gloves near black in the low light, and he hissed back softly, anger edging his voice. “You are just another player. Back off before you get hurt.”    
  
“Before I get hurt?” Doc didn’t stop the flood of anger in him, “YOU KILLED CLEO. All you’ve done since you arrived is fuck things up even more!”    
  
Dream forced Doc back with a shove, his wings flapping slightly, and a sneer in his voice. “Like you were fixing everything before I came along?”    
  
“I was doing a better job than you! At least I didn’t kill anyone! At least I haven’t started some war!”    
  
Dream had started to turn away, turned on a dime as he faced Doc. Despite Doc being relatively tall the Watcher still loomed over him, by several inches. Everything in the creeper bristled, and every alarm in his mind was screaming  **_DANGER_ ** . But he wasn’t about to back off, he wasn’t going to just brush this off again.    
  
“How many of us will have to die before you’re satisfied?!” He yelled back not caring who or what else heard him.    
  
Dream’s wings flared briefly. “You’re talking like I enjoyed it! It was an accident! If I hadn’t been so outnumbered then she wouldn’t have had to die!”    
  
“So she deserved to die is what you’re saying?”    
  
“No! Maybe if you guys hadn’t fucked everything up and let some fucking third grade gremlin take over your server then none of this would’ve happened! Your admin is a waste of space and shouldn’t have run this server.”    
  
Scar wasn’t there to stop the blows this time, and he punched Dream in the face, well mask. A sharp plastic cracking sound was audible and Dream staggered back, and he turned the white grinning face on Doc. He pulled his hoodie down and lunged at Doc. Pinning the shorter of them beneath him, a knee on his chest. But Doc wasn’t done, he spat at Dream.    
  
“Don’t you ever speak of Xisuma like that again.”    
  
Dream stared down at him, his feathers bristling as he pinned Doc beneath him, his wings flared outward in an attempt to make him look even larger. “Go home. Go back inside now.” He hissed softly leaning over the other.    
  
After an extra heartbeat he released Doc and said man scrambled to his feet, and backed away. Anger still roiled in his stomach like lava, and he wanted to tell Scar, to tell Stress and Wels, but the other two were all the way across the ocean by the shopping district. There was no way he’d be able to fly that far without this monster knowing. So he slunk back inside, his chest hurting slightly where Dream had crushed him.    
  
Doc shook the memory away with disgust, Dream was probably the least trustworthy thing in this server. Perhaps even more so than the so-called gremlin NPG. He tilted downward, spotting the mushroom island and it’s lush green grass. He tilted downwards scanning over the island to make sure there weren’t any of the impostor hermits around. Once he deemed they were safe he came to a jogging stop in front of the large mayor building. A building from a more peaceful time, and now somewhere that they had been able to hunker down inside of because of Scar’s excellent building skills, and having created a few secret rooms. The others were supposed to meet him here, and here is where he would wait.    
  
The survivors needed to stick together, even if that meant letting George, Sapnap, and even Dream into the shopping district. The two younger boys trusted the Watcher so willingly. It seemed wrong.    
  
He was hiding things from everyone, and Doc knew it. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AHHHHHHHH TYSM FOR 1K HITS!!!
> 
> This one is a bit shorter and I apologize, and chapter updates may slow with school starting next week for me. Anyways as always I hope you enjoyed and let me know if you have any thoughts or ideas or so forth in the comments!!


	11. Haze

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Another rush of poison flowing into my veins

Dream quietly made his way through the dense jungle. The sun had started to set, casting an orange glow across all the foliage that seemed to constantly be trying to snare and steal his feathers as he traversed the terrain, he could just fly over, but then he would probably miss the patrol that he wanted to catch up with. He heard a quiet snap, and swiveled towards the sound. Spotting one of the strange humanoid androids, he briefly caught sight of a thick mustache on his face, it was Mumbo. HE frowned as he tried to study the hermit and figure out what the npc was doing so far away, and alone. He hoped that they were alone at least. His sword was sheathed at his side as he approached. The man was trying to reach the patrol. He only realized this once he heard Sapnap’s and George’s voice carry over. 

Some part of him started reacting on it’s own, his body felt like it was moving on auto pilot and he couldn’t do anything about it as he moved forward. His mind felt thick with cotton and it was like he was watching from a back seat as his body moved towards the npc, a soft cry of metal sounded as he unsheathed the sword. 

NO! He’s unarmed

He tried to reason with himself, and yet as he tried to fight this unknown instinct to attack, his limbs felt sluggish and his movement was slowed, his mind was trapped in a body that wouldn’t obey. He watched helplessly as he stalked towards the npc hermit. His mind foggy and everything came undone as he thrust forward. 

A startled and strangled gasp escaped from the robotic engineer, Dream managed to shift slightly, it wasn’t a death blow, an injury yes, but not killing. He stared as the fog seemed to clear, whatever unnatural force that had taken him seemed to vanish now sated with the spilling of blood. An angry voice snapped him out of it. Scar was yelling at him, the words blended together. His own heart was pounding in his chest, roaring in his ears, and he was gaping beneath the mask, trying to register what the hell just happened.

Something grabbed his arm, and in a state of panic he whirled around, to find a shocked George looking back at him. Guilt flooded his senses and he lowered the blade, the mess of words in his head and being said seemed to slow, and he could understand them again. 

"What is wrong with you?! You could've killed him! If Xisuma was here you'd be banned in a moment!" He pointed a finger, his voice a mix of anger, confusion, fear and sadness. Dream turned unable to speak, or even defend his actions just now. 

What had he just done?

He slowly lowered the sword, his mask hid his mix of emotions that roiled in his stomach. His chest twisted in knots. His head spun as that haze returned. The engineer was so weak, so pathetic. You could kill him right now. He told himself, and once again against his own accord his arms shifted. His knuckles pale as they gripped the sword and before his eyes he had it raised to strike downwards and kill the hermit. He was fighting against his own body, hands shaking. A hand touched him, a small anchor in the fog, and he was dragged back to reality with a shudder. Scar was holding Mumbo, both looking terrified as Scar accused him. A low menacing sound could be heard, and after a moment Dream realized it was him. He was growling at the hermits. George pulled him away.

George crossed his arms and glared at Dream, and he got the clue, turning away from the others and lowering the mask. He could feel the cotton slowly dissipating, and George gently put a hand on Dream's shoulder. "What's going on?"

His voice was so kind, he didn't deserve that kindness. Not with what he did you didn't do it intentionally but nobody would believe it. He ran a hand through his hair sighing and shaking his head. 

"I-I'm sorry, I don't. . . I don't know what's gotten into me. I can't think clearly, it was like. . Like I was in a daze." He managed to stammer out, his stutter rearing it's angry head.

George was quiet, his stare still cold, and he squared his shoulders, "you need to apologise to both of them, and for growling at Scar."

In an attempt to lighten the mood he gave a soft laugh. George didn't laugh. So mustering up every ounce of shame and guilt he had he walked over and did exactly that, apologizing to the hermits gently. Some of that same aggression managed to seep through though towards the end of their conversation with Mumbo.

The Android had agreed to be a mole, someone from the inside who could help give information, and let them be one step ahead at any moment. 

The sun had long since set, and the hum and chirp of the jungle created a gentle soothing background sound. A dying fire occasionally popped with the cooling embers. The others around him were asleep, and as he looked over he saw one was missing. He recounted the heads, and as he looked at the sleeping forms. The tall german was missing, Doc. He sighed softly getting up and stretching his wings for a moment, before settling down next to George. 

As he did, the shorter of the two rolled over and curled against one of his dark feathery wings, huffing softly as he snuggled against the fuzzy object. He couldn't help but smile a bit and relax. Pulling up the server panel again on his arm he looked over the information. His gentle smile quickly vanished though as he paled seeing the server status.

ᓭᒷ∷⍊ᒷ∷ ᓭℸ ̣ ᔑℸ ̣ ⚍ᓭ ?= ╎リ⎓ᒷᓵℸ ̣ ᒷ↸.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ssshhh I totally updated the right fic and I totally don't only have 2 hours or so of sleep.


	12. Danger

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Every proclamation guarantees  
> free ammunition for your enemies  
> \----------------------
> 
> If you stand for nothing   
> what will you fall for?

Dream helped pull Sapnap and George from the boat. A secondary dark oak one was docked at the shore of the mooshroom island. The oak rocked with the weight shift as the Watcher pulled George to his feet. They glanced around the large spawn island turned shopping district, it was lush and bright green. It was honestly a shade of lively that was rare to see around in any server (since few would take the time to remove all of the mycelium from an island). Large shops of all sorts of materials towered above them. Most notably was a large emporium-like building made of wood and glass. An array of boxes filled and crammed onto the shelves of the Barge. Dream tucked his wings close as he took in the view of the “Shopping District.” Everywhere there were shulker boxes littered in stores and around shelves. Some forgotten and being left to make a mess outside half finished shops, and structures.    
  
He shivered seeing the boxes, an angry and cruel memory starting to surface. He worked so hard to push it down, to try and forget that day, that server, but he never could.    
  
_ The edges of the world flickered with the End corruption. A world without an Admin, a world run by a pair of kids. A cry rang out, a girl, dropped to her knees twisting and wailing in agony on the ground. Her body falling still, and the player data quickly being retrieved.  _ **_VOID LOCK PLAYER_ ** _. Creatures from the end had started spawning, crawling into a dimension where they didn’t belong. A crackling voice cried out to Dream, what was he supposed to do. He felt so helpless. His friends, his family they were all being destroyed around him _ _   
_ _   
_ _ Dream! _ _   
_ _   
_ _ He turned looking for the voice, another player begging for him. Begging for someone to help them, for one of their leaders to save the day. To step in and heal the pain. But he couldn’t. Someone shoved past him, another boy, he looked like Dream, broken glasses loosely perched on his nose. The frames crooked on his face, he turned his magenta eyes on Dream. He was speaking but Dream couldn’t understand. The boy was angry. A tattoo glowed on his arm. A marking of a powerful being. He knew this boy  
  
_ _ This is your fault isn't it? He couldn't help but feel, but this boy was guilty too.  
_ _   
_ _ Dream!  _

_ The one in red shouted over the noise. He keeps saying boy, but he was younger than this man. He knew this man well.   
  
_ _ Who was he?  
_ _   
_ _ He was - _

  
  
“DREAM!” George shouted as Dream was forced back into reality. He blinked away the shadows in his vision and he realized his hands were shaking.    
  
Everyone was looking at him concerned, all several feet ahead of him and looking back with confusion. George took Dream’s hands into his own and looked up, his dark eyes full of worry as he peered through his tinted glasses.    
  
“Dream, you zoned out there.” He said softly, rubbing a thumb over the back of the other’s hand. “Are you ok?”    
  
Dream just nodded numbly, the memory still stung, and he didn’t trust his own voice to not betray the swelling of pure pain and emotion that had risen in his throat like a stone. George didn’t seem convinced and his lips pursed, seemingly wanting to say something else, but the call of someone else cut him off.    
  
“So you’re the new guys everyone’s been buzzing about?” A girl’s voice called out to them    
  
She was probably the shortest of the group (which was saying a lot since George was there), and was accompanied by a blonde who was wearing plates of custom silvery armor, over dark clothing. His eyes were a bright golden color and he had a diamond sword sheathed at his hip. The girl had dark hair that fell in short waves around her face and shoulders. A smattering of freckles painted her cheeks and her eyes were a soft brown full of compassion. She had a loose violet sweater on and some jeans. A pink flower was tucked into her hair as she made her way with her partner to the group. Dream twitched slightly seeing Doc tailing the two in the shopping district.    
  
The hybrid must’ve flown ahead with the Elytra that most of the hermits used, and met up with the other survivors. The girl gave a hesitant smile, as he eyes trailed over the trio of strangers who had made their way onto the Hermitcraft server, lingering on Dream for a few extra heartbeats. She gestured for them to follow and clasped her hands together.    
  
“You guys have no idea how amazing it is to know that there are others who aren’t. . . well one of them.” She had an accent, but Dream couldn’t place it off the top of his head as he listened to her. He had a feeling if they met under different circumstances she would be a very cheerful and bright person.    
  
Doc trailed behind the group a bit, and Dream could feel the creeper’s eyes on him as the german spoke. “These are the others Scar and I told you three about. She’s Stressmonster, but you can call her Stress, and the knight is Welsknight.” Doc said coldly, and the girl, Stress shot him a slightly confused look.    
  
But she grinned a bit as she led the group into a large building, a throne of diamonds towered above them, a quite literal chair for a king. Scar had explained on the way here that this was the town hall, or mayoral building. He used to run the shopping district before everything went down and fell into chaos. Stress led them inside and into a small private side room, one could easily have missed it if you didn’t know what you were looking for. 

They all made their way inside, and it was a rather large and cozy looking room. It was probably an office for someone at some point. A spruce wood desk was tucked into a corner, a chest high (well  _ Dream _ chest high) bookshelf nestled next to the desk. A long since extinguished hearth was empty across from the desk and to the left of the door, a blue rug was laid out and a few beanbag chairs were littered about in disarray. Stress dragged them out and gestured for the others to sit, she herself plopping down into one that roughly matched the same color of her sweater.    
  
She clapped her hands together. “Ok first things first, introductions. Doc already told you our names, but who are you guys?”    
  
Dream hesitated, not much of a talker himself. Thankfully Sapnap stepped in, seeming to match the girl’s enthusiastic attitude. Perhaps it was just because of the overwhelming stress and dread that had clung to everyone for so long but Dream felt a bit safer around the two new folks.    
  
“I’m Sapnap! This is George,” He had a mischievous smile on his face as he gestured to Dream, “And our friend the giraffe is Dream.” 

George and Wels snickered at the small nickname, and Dream playfully pushed him back. Doc was lingering at the edge of the group, and seemed uninterested in being friendly. Scar spared a glance at the other, and the man seemed to radiate malice. Anger specifically directed at Dream.    
  
Wels cocked his head and frowned looking at the other. “Doc I know you’re not social and all but could you at least  _ pretend _ to be happy to be here?”    
  
Stress stifled a quiet laugh and Doc growled.    
  
“I’ll relax when we aren’t sharing a room with a  _ killer _ .” He snarled and crossed his arms. Dream bristled at the comment and the new hermits exchanged a confused look.    
  
“What? What are you on about?” Stress asked, looking between the trio of non-hermits and her companions.    
Scar pulled awkwardly at his tie and looked at his own shoes, before finally clearing his throat, “Doc, maybe we can save this discussion for another time?”    
  
Doc shook his head and stepped forward a few feet away from the Watcher. “No, I think Stress and Wels both deserve to know exactly what the fuck they’re dealing with.”    
  
Both Stress and Scar shot him a tiny glare and a ‘language’ which he ignored and continued.    
  
“Why don’t you do the honors of telling them what you did  _ Dream _ .” He spoke his lip curling and revealing the small set of fangs the creeper sported.    
  
Dream knew this was coming eventually, and he refused to even let the hermit think he was intimidated by the other. He got to his feet and squared his shoulders facing the angered hermit. “Doc I think you need to calm down.” He raised a hand and moved to put it on the other’s shoulder.    
  
Doc smacked his hand away harshly, “I’ll calm when you aren’t fucking slaughtering my friends!” He barked back and shoved Dream.    
  
Dream felt that fog of anger returning and he had to force it away, he needed a clear head here. He wouldn’t let whatever was happening steal another life, but he growled softly nonetheless. More of a warning sound than an effort in intimidation.    
  
Doc wasn’t done, he spun on his heels and faced the two new hermits to the group. “This THING that claims he wants to ‘help’, killed Cleo and Tango! He doesn’t care for any of us and he doesn’t even belong here!” The creeper snapped before turning and facing Dream again as he pushed the other harder this time, “You don’t give a flying shit about any of us do you?!”    
  
Dream was taken aback by the accusation and he did his best to compose himself. Stress and Wels looked scared, they had never seen Doc so pissed off about anything before.    
  
“I do care Doc. Otherwise I wouldn’t be here.”    
  
“Then why don’t you tell them about what you know?” The other sneered as he stepped towards Dream again.   
  
_ He doesn’t know about the infection does he? He couldn’t know could he? _   
  
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” A part of him wanted to lunge at Doc and tear him apart for the way the hermit was being.    
  
Doc glared as he forced Dream against a wall, a metallic hand clamped around the Watcher’s throat, “Don’t play dumb with me fucker. The server? The  _ infection? _ ”    
  
“How do you know about that?” Dream hissed, gasping and choking softly as the wind was knocked out of him. He fought back and forced the german off of him with a shove.    
  
He roughly grabbed Doc’s wrist and slammed the man against the wall with a dull thud, changing their position. Doc cried out in pain as his head hit the wood panelling. But he still sneered with a triumphant grin, “So it’s true then?”    
  
Dream growled deep, and his lips curled angrily, as he grabbed Doc’s hair forcing the creeper to look at him, “How do you know?” He asked again angrily. The fog was returning and he couldn’t think straight.    
  
Doc spat in his face, literally, and Dream was about to sock him in the face when Sapnap quickly got up and was forcefully pulling Dream away from the other. Before he was fully pulled away he managed to slam Doc’s head against the wall one last time, he snarled and fought back against being pulled away, smacking Sapnap turning on his heels and wings flaring. However, his friend wasn’t going to let this keep going.    
  
“DREAM STOP!” He snapped at his friend as he pulled the Watcher away from the creeper hybrid. A bit of blood trickled down his face where his forehead had been cut. He groaned in pain softly.    
  
Stress, Scar and Wels were also on their feet and crowding around Doc who slumped to the ground with a groan, leaning on the other hermits as they put a physical barrier between the two men. Stress looked terrified, and shrank away from the angry Watcher when his wings flared outward, causing him to look even bigger.    
  
Dream blinked from under the mask, and shame took him. Yet a small part of him felt . . . satisfied? Doc deserved that after his attitude, didn’t he?  _ You do too, you know _ he chided himself internally as Sapnap was still dragging him back and was putting more distance between him and the injured Hermit.    
  


Wels turned a horrified, and furious glare to the Watcher and his eyes flickered orange as he unleashed a furious string of swears and insults at Dream. Scar was so frustrated and flustered that he wasn’t even bothering correcting Wel’s curses. George practically dragged Dream out of the office with Sapnap’s help. Once they were outside the room Sapnap turned his furious glare on his tall friend.    
  
“What the hell was that?” He angrily threw his hand out gesturing to the room they had left.    
  
Dream paused looking between the other two, remaining silent for the time being.    
  
Sap wasn’t having it though. “Take that fucking mask off before I break it.” He stepped forward.    
Dream twitched hissing softly, but after George moved forward backing Sap, he reluctantly gave in. He pulled down the hood around his hair, and unclipped the mask. Running a thumb over the back of it, he couldn’t bring himself to look up at the two. George reached out and took Dream’s free hand.    
  
“I know you Dream, this. . . this isn’t like you, what’s going on? We’re here for you Dream.” He said softly. He sounded scared.    
  
His stomach twisted in knots hearing the soft voice and gentle fear that edged the other’s voice. He swallowed thickly, it broke something in him knowing George was afraid of  _ him _ . He sighed softly, shoulders and wings slumping a bit as he walked over and settled on a bench near the edge of the large town hall entry.    
  
“I. . .don’t know.” He finally answered.  
  
"Whatever it is, you need to figure yourself out." George scolded.  
  
Both Sap and George settled on either side of him a tense silence settling over the team trio. After a long moment Dream pulled his gloves off, chewing his lip as he turned over and looked at his right palm. Something in him sank seeing his skin. Dark markings had started to appear, a gentle glow to the faint word.    
  
A sickly teal green was visible around his thumb, and it was spreading outwards down his wrist. Dark greens, and pale greens swirled together in a spotty mess on his skin. A part of him tried to rationalize the marking but he knew deep down what it was.  He had brought his friends straight into an infected server, and now he was paying for it. He just prayed that he could finish helping the hermits before whatever plagued this server took him too.   
  
This was his fault and he would need to take responsibility.   
  
He was leading his friends to what could easily be their end.    



	13. Thoughts and Dreams

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I imagine Death so much it's like a memory  
> Is there where it gets me?

Dream couldn't help but feel child-like glee as he looked over the landscape, hills and mountains generating before him, the vast expanse of possibilities all stretched out before him. This server was a passion project he had worked on.

_No_

_Not alone_

He had worked with someone else hadn't he? He was sure of it. . . Almost. He paused, frowning a little at the seeming hiccup in his memory, it wasn't like him to just forget something like that. He knew someone else had helped him, a Watcher can't create a server after all, not by themselves. This was a partnership project. Voices interrupted him as several people mulled about, a mix of Watchers and Players, where did they come from? There was a young admin boy trailing behind someone else like a lost puppy. He was too young to have been about to help create the server. Who then? Every player, and Watcher alike seemed eager to explore, some already bounding off in pairs and trios to do exactly that. A warm comforting hand laid on his shoulder, a firm yet gentle grip. He turned to see the owner.

A man much older than himself looked down at him with pride, dark dirty blond hair trimmed and smoothed back on his head. His green eyes sparkled with delight as he rested a tanned hand on the blonde's shoulder.

_He looks like me._

He spoke, his words were so happy, so warm. Yet they were so hard to grasp, like a voice shouting over a roaring crowd, or mumbling through a pile of blankets at the same time. His mind felt sluggish, and he realized the man was speaking to him, not in English, but in Galatic. His mother tongue. 

"||𝙹⚍ ↸╎↸ ⊣𝙹𝙹↸ ᓭ𝙹リ." He smiled, small rounded fangs peeking out from the grin.

_Son? Who is he?_

_I'm not your son..._

He blinked, unable to respond, or voice his thoughts as the man patted his back. He had a scruffy beard that was short and trimmed, his hands rough and worn from years of work. Everything about the man showed he was someone respectable and well kept. Despite the fact that Dream was shorter, younger, and probably should've been intimidated, he wasn't. The bearded man's touch, presence, and voice was comforting. It was like a soothing anchor in a sea of chaos. He felt a swelling of pride, and puffed up his chest a bit. His new wings fluttering behind him slightly. At this, the other laughed before beginning to leave, walking a few steps ahead.

_New?_

_New wings? He had them for years. After the apprenticeship. He had rightfully earned them, so long ago._

The sun was high above, and the trees whispered with untold stories that the quiet breeze carried. The flowers in the field ahead of him bobbed lazily in the liquid gold light, and grass was trampled beneath eager feet and members. Players were scattered about, some already venturing off and beginning to plan ideas for the new server. Others were still milling about near the spawn.

That's right, he had found a hidden domain. A small one tucked away and unoccupied by anyone, or anything. There hadn't even been any other servers, it was completely untouched.

_Not you. Him._

_╎ℸ ̣ 'ᓭ ⍑╎ᓭ ∴𝙹∷ꖌ ℸ ̣ 𝙹𝙹._

Him? Dream hesitated, what him? Who else created this server with him. Who else was here? He looked over the heads of the players, and he knew all of them. Sure there were a few other species, but nobody who he would've had helped him, or so he thought.

_Dead. They're dead Dream._

No? All of the players were in front of him, and it wasn't a perma-death server, nobody was dead. Everyone should be fine, besides he was still standing in spawn, so even if someone had gotten hurt, he was right here for them. The bearded man was a few paces in front of him when he stopped, and spoke again.

"╎'ᒲ !¡∷𝙹⚍↸ 𝙹⎓ ʖ𝙹ℸ ̣ ⍑ 𝙹⎓ ||𝙹⚍..." He put his hands on his hips. Opal feathered wings stretched behind him lazily as he turned to face Dream again, "||𝙹⚍∷ ᒲ𝙹ℸ ̣ ⍑ᒷ∷ ∴𝙹⚍ꖎ↸ ʖᒷ ℸ ̣ 𝙹𝙹."

_Both?_

_Mom?_

_Mom’s gone, she's been gone for a very long time_.

He was suddenly aware of something or someone at his side. Someone who was his same height. Their blond curls falling lazily into their eyes. They were beaming too, a happy and excited grin plastered on their face. 

_Who are you?_

_ᔑ ℸ ̣ ∷ᔑ╎ℸ ̣ 𝙹∷._

_What?_

Something felt wrong. Everything about this scene felt wrong, surreal and fabricated. Maybe if he pinched himself hard enough he'd wake up. Yet he could hear their voices. Voices of his friends. His family. They were here, and he could smell the fresh foliage, and feel the warmth of the sun. This was real right? Wait...

_What family?_

People were chatting away, some a few feet, others dozens of yards. Their voices were carried along by the sky and it's gentle wind. Nobody here was family. The one beside him laughed. They were wearing a black leather jacket, and their maroon eyes gleamed with the same pride Dream felt. A jagged twin scar across his left eye was the only thing that ruined his soft and gentle face. Although the other didn't seem impaired by the old injury by any means. 

_||𝙹⚍ !¡⚍ᓭ⍑ᒷ↸ ⍑╎ᒲ ᔑ∴ᔑ||._

"C'mon Dream!" He grinned grabbing Dream's wrist and practically dragging the other down the hill. He was laughing and it felt nice. It felt safe.

_Am I safe?_

_No, ↸ᒷᓭℸ ̣ ∷⚍ᓵℸ ̣ ╎𝙹リ._

"Where are we going, ∴⍑𝙹?" He couldn't help but chuckle along with the stranger, his laughter and mood contagious among the grass and flowers. The name seemed to slip away from him, but if the stranger noticed, he didn't say anything.

"That doesn't matter! There's so much to do!" He cackled, finally letting go of his hand, much to Dream's disappointment.

_Why are you upset? You don't know him._

_You don't know him._

Yet still, some part long forgotten still yearned for the others attention. He chased after the one in the dark jacket as they crested a ridge. The one in black gestured widely, and in a mocking deep voice spoke.

"Siimmmba! Behold, everything the light touches -!" He shouted into the stones before falling into a fit of laughter. Unable to finish his little bit he had started. Dream grinned, a warm joy bubbling in him with the pride he felt.

He missed this, the boy's laughter, the peace. Everything felt fresh and new and clean.

_What am I missing?_

I miss his smile. It's been so long since he smiled.

_Who? The one in black?_

_The bearded stranger?_

_What am I missing here?_

He didn't know, and some part was angry he didn't know, he should know. These people were talking, and acting like everything was normal and it wasn't. He didn't know them, he didn't know anyone here did he? No, he did know some players. They were his friends. 

_ℸ ̣ ⍑ᒷ||'∷ᒷ ⊣𝙹リᒷ._

He pulled away from the boy, hesitation suddenly overtaking him, as well as a mix of anger. As he closed his eyes, he heard a soft cracking. When he finally blinked away the bright sun, he was no longer outside, but inside. He was walking past a lit hearth. Someone was behind him, but he didn't look. He was mad at them. 

Tall spruce and log walls towered above him, the lovely home was normally a comfy and happy place to be. It was somewhere safe to be around. It was his home.

_Not yours._

_Who's?_

_⍑ᔑ⍊ᒷ ||𝙹⚍ ⎓𝙹∷⊣𝙹ℸ ̣ ℸ ̣ ᒷリ ⍑╎ᒲ?_

No, he wasn't forgetting anyone. He knew everyone on this server. It was his server after all, one he had made to prove himself. He couldn't have just forgotten someone, not so simply.

_Prove to who though?_

His mind seemed to be foggy and fighting with itself. As if navigating every turn and thought was a difficult task, and his brain was being dragged through thick sludge for every moment of it. Yet, somehow he managed to piece together a coherent thought.

_Prove to my dad._

His dad, the bearded man. His father was proud of him, of them for everything they had accomplished. He had worked so hard alongside...

_Alongside who?_

He couldn't remember. Who had made this place with him? Had his dad helped? No that couldn't be right, his father was just another Watcher. Who were the players? Did he still know them? 

_What was he doing here?_

He fought to keep himself in the present, he was here in these walls. This home that he shared with his partner. Another who was his partner in crime and best friend, someone who had always had his back.

_Then why can't I remember him?_

_You do._

_||𝙹⚍∷ ⎓ᔑ⚍ꖎℸ ̣._

What was his fault? He hasn't done anything, yet. The server was safe, it's members were fine and here, inside the server. What was wrong?

_No..._

He knew now. He was storming out of the house, anger rising in him, still fresh from the argument, he could almost feel the angry glare of the other, and his throat burned from the shouting match that had just occurred. 

There was an update that was supposed to happen. Every Watcher and other non-player on the server could sense it. Like the smell in the air and thick atmosphere before a storm. It was just sitting there and waiting. But once again Dream had been denied pushing forward and bringing in the update. 

He mumbled in a mocking voice, "It's too dangerous Dream! This server isn't big enough Dream!" 

_Who are you mocking?_

He snarled quietly under his breath as he reached the dining room table. He flopped himself down into a chair as he mulled over his plan. He could still bring the update in by himself. He was strong enough, he knew he was. Even if everyone didn't seem confident in the new Watchers abilities, Dream was confident in himself. Besides if they kept holding back from updating, then the server could glitch, or worse become infected. They couldn't keep waiting and sitting by as every moment counted when this sort of thing happened.

He rolled out a piece of paper and began planning. He would do this by himself, he'd prove them all wrong and everything would be okay.

_リ𝙹ℸ ̣ ⍑╎リ⊣ ∴ᔑᓭ 𝙹ꖌ_

As he held the paper in his hands, everything felt so vibrant suddenly. A cold wind stung his cheeks, and he was standing alone on the spawn mountain. Small buildings from members had popped up. Small shops and homes dotted around and broke up the green and gray landscape. The wind ruffled his dark feathers, and in one hand he could feel the weight of something else.

Not the paper that was now tucked into his green hoodie. No, a white mask that he had been given. It's cheesy simple smile looking back at him as he looked down at the mask. His dad's words echoed in his head.

_ "↸𝙹 ᒲᒷ !¡∷𝙹⚍↸ ᓭ𝙹リ. ╎ ꖌリ𝙹∴ ||𝙹⚍ ᓵᔑリ" His smile and words were so happy, so soft as he handed Dream the mask. _

_ "A symbol of honor." His father told him. _

It felt so heavy and light at the same time, a gift of the highest honor one could receive. A Watchers mask, it was a passing of the torch. His dad had chosen him and not the other bastard.

_Who?_

He brushed it off and slipped it on. Clicking the straps into place, it felt like it always belonged there. Like it was made for him, a sense of pride filled him as he raised his hand.

Feathers and fingers sparking with magic he summoned everything in him and focused on the incoming update.

Screaming.

That's all he could hear, was the screaming of a little boy. The hiccuping and frightful sobs of a child witnessing something he was too young to need to understand. The sky bled black and violet. The stars blended with the day blue sky. It seemed as if the sky had cracked apart in the edges.

Creatures twisted and dark seemed to creep at the edges of his vision. Mobs that shouldn't exist, that shouldn't ever leave the End. The Admins End. Yet here they were, crawling and spreading their disease to his server. They shrieked with cries that made his blood run cold. Silent cries of souls lost thousands of years before.

He could see her body. The girl crashed into the hard and unforgiving ground. Her eyes rolling back as she collapsed. She twitched and shuddered. Gasping and shrieking in pain as the violet magic took her.

He rushed forward trying to grab her, but she fell limp in his arms. His sister was dead. Tears pricked at his eyes and burned his vision. She wasn't respawning, and she was gone. Frantically he tried to retrieve the server data, do something to force the server to give his sister back. To give their little Scarlet back. 

But he already knew what he would see when he pulled her player data. She succumbed just like his friends. She had almost made it. The exit was so close.

_**Watcher: Scarlet - VOID LOCKED**_.

She was trapped, and his heart twisted as he knew what awaited her. A stasis like state, unable to move or look or anything else. Trapped in the endless abyssal void that was claiming their lives. A boy begged and cried for his leader's, for them to save him. To save the day like the heroes they were supposed to be.

"Dream!" Someone shouted at him, the stranger in black. He was angry, Dream knew it.

Another young kid crumpled to his knees, quietly begging in Galatic for mercy. For someone to help him, but everyone knew there was nothing they could do. They had to get out. He frantically looked around, trying to account for their scraggly group of members. Their numbers were a pathetic few compared to the dozens of members who first stepped in.

_⍑ᒷꖎ!¡..._

His father stumbled, and Dream's heart dropped, he wouldn't lose his dad. He couldn't lose his father. He ran forwards, catching the older man as he screamed for help. 

The boy in black was still screaming at Dream, his voice torn with emotion, anger, sadness, pain, and hatred. Dream couldn't understand what was being said. He knew what the other was saying but it was lost between his ears and his mind. 

_⍑ᒷ ⍑ᔑℸ ̣ ᒷᓭ ||𝙹⚍._

The stranger in black came to his father's other side. Assisting Dream in walking the man out, there was nothing more they could do here. 

**_YOUR FAULT_ **

They stumbled through the swirling blue and black portal. Dream almost gagged at the difference in air, reeling from the sudden cleanliness. No smoke, or thick scent of copper and death plagued it. His hands were trembling and he could hear the boy’s voice clearly now. 

He keeps thinking boy, and yet the other was older than him. He wasn't a boy. His jacket crimson red, orange markings at the edges and collar of it. His glasses crooked and broken perched at the end of his nose. The two helped his father to a seat. 

His dad was weak, and he was struggling. Dream grabbed the others hands, his red sleeves rolled up to reveal the marking of a powerful being.

"Please, you need to help him." Dream begged, he sounded so broken in his own ears.

The one in red glared at him obviously furious, "I'm helping, but not for you Dream!"

The words stung, for many reasons. But as the air cleared his lungs and his mind seemed free of its sludge, they hurt for another reason.

He went to his dad's side, both doing their damnedest to keep the old man alive, and both knew it would all be fruitless. His dad would succumb without a cure. 

The one in red snarled at him as he roughly shoved Dream despite being several inches shorter. Their dad was stable for now.

_Their dad._

"I hope you know this is all your fucking fault!" He screamed at Dream, "Your prideful jackass killed them! You killed Scarlet!" 

He was shrieking and pure venom poured from his voice.

"You may be my brother but unless you are willing to start making up for everything you've shat on I never want to see you again!" His brother screamed at him

_His_ brother.

_⍑╎ᓭ ʖ∷𝙹ℸ ̣ ⍑ᒷ∷_

Dream awoke with a start and a gasp, shooting up from the light blanket he had wrapped around himself. He blinked and rubbed his eyes, he had been crying in his sleep. He hated those memories, he hated thinking about that server. He had worked so hard on it, done everything to fix it. 

He knew he wasn't the only one to blame, and yet, the heartache was still the same. He brushed away the tears on his damp cheeks as he sat up. It was still pitch black, and the crescent moon above him confirmed that it was in fact, the middle of the night. George and Sapnap were asleep in the office with the other hermits.

Everyone had decided that it would be better for all their sakes if Dream slept away from the group. He hadn't protested because he was still angry at Doc, and it gave him a chance to rest without the mask on. Some part of him felt like he just… he needed it, as if helping this server would somehow make up for the past. It wouldn't, but maybe it would help him move on. Maybe it wouldn't, since it seemed to just re-open the old wound, but it was worth a shot.

He pulled his knees close against himself and leaned back against the wall beside him. His hair was a mess and he didn't care enough to fix it. His hoodie was nearby, folded and sitting on a micro lock, with his sword laying next to it. He was wearing a simple gray shirt that hung loosely on his tall thin frame. A quiet sob escaped him and he tried to muffle the sound with his arms, by burying his face in them. 

_Stop crying, you don't deserve it. Do you really think they'll pity you? After everything you've done? After everyone you've hurt? How many more still will you hurt Dream? Would George and Sap leave if they knew?_

He chastised himself internally, forcing himself to calm down and to stop crying. Nobody would even care if they did see him like this anyways, they'd probably be mad that he was doing it for attention. 

Dream pulled his wings close, and summoned a small ball of light, using his wings to hide it away and keep it hidden from anyone's prying eyes. He looked at his other hand, staring down at the marred skin. 

It was like the universe was mocking him, did it think it was funny? Snatching everything away, and just as things started to stabilize only to hurl him back into the deep end? He tried to shove the thoughts away, and tell his mind to shut up. But it didn't listen and kept going. 

_You've just ruined another server. This time there's nobody to blame but yourself._

"No." He said aloud more of a mumbled thought than spoken. 

"Don't think like that. You can help the hermits, you can find the admin, and then we leave." He asserted to himself.

It was no use to sit here and wallow in self pity. He wouldn't get anything done, and all in all it would only make him feel worse if he didn't stop now. So he gathered his resolve, and got up. He put on his hoodie, and sword, before clipping his mask into place. He summoned the server information. There were two things he knew for certain.

Number one: This virus is probably what caused the npc take over, find the leader, and fix patient zero.

Number two: The gremlin was no Watcher or admin, so the trapped hermits had to be on the server somewhere and hidden away. Which he could easily get that out of the 3rd grader.

_Probably if you punt him far enough -_

He shook his head at the thought, no, no more violence, not if he could help it.

He would find NPG and he would put a stop to this once and for all.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Don't question my sleeping schedule. Yes it's 2:45 am. 
> 
> Anyways I hope this chapter was as enjoyable to read as it was too write! Updates may slow bc school is starting again for me on Monday and I won't have as much time to write sadly :/


	14. Gone Rogue

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I guess I have to face  
> That in this awful place  
> I shouldn't show a trace of doubt  
> But pulled against the grain  
> I feel a little pain  
> That I would rather do without.

George shifted under the thin blanket he had been given, stirring from some unknown disturbance. He heard what sounded like footsteps that were quickly fading away, he blearily rubbed his eyes trying to pinpoint what had woken him. It certainly hadn't been an invasive sun, as the moon still hung dim in the inky night sky, it's small crescent shape creating soft white light, the single window in the office allowing for little of the beams to seep in. He sat up glancing around trying to get his bearings, mind still cloudy with exhaustion. The nagging remnants of a nightmare fading quickly. He remembered he was in the town hall. Dream was in the next room after his fight. 

The darkness, mixed with his colorblindness made for an annoying task of trying to discern the shapes in the office, and after several long and frustrating minutes, he noticed a figure in the corner of the room. The dim lighting was obscuring their form, but the soft voice that murmured quietly told him it was female, and since there was only one girl in their group, he put two and two together.

She paused looking up, and sheepishly whispered. "Sorry did I wake you?" She was holding something.

George shook his head, before realizing she might not even be able to see him. "No, I never sleep through the night anyways." He joked dryly.

Stress patted the ground beside her, indicating for George to join her, so he did. He carefully picked his way over, almost tripping on Scar with his (he assumed) yellow outfit blending in with the wooden flooring. After a whispered curse he finally settled beside the other, and noticed she was holding a picture frame. It was a photo of her in the middle with two people on either side of her. He squinted trying to see details. They were standing in front of a large building, and it seemed like a shopping district. They all were wearing matching outfits.

"Who are they?" He asked softly, keeping his voice low so as to not disturb the others. 

She brushed a stray dark strand of hair from her eyes, and she spoke sadly, running a thumb over the edge of the small plastic frame. "Some friends I've lost." 

George was hesitant to push her, he didn't want to upset the hermit, and he knew Dream and Doc's fight from earlier had set everyone on edge, so he chose to remain silent instead. Stress continued after a shaky breath.

"That's Cleo." She pointed to a girl on the left. "She loved building little statues and making others happy. She was such a sweet person."

With wavy hair that fell down past her shoulders, and spotted skin she reminded him of the condition vitiligo with it's mismatched darker spots. Her hair and skin looked so identical, he had a feeling she was very red and green looking. She was grinning ear to ear, a flower crown adorned on her head, and eyes sparkling. A loose sundress hung off her shoulders and she had an arm slung around Stress.

"She was a really good friend of mine, her name was Zombie Cleo." She sniffled softly, "I… with everything that's happened, I guess I don't know how to feel now that she's actually gone. Y'know? It doesn't… feel real."

George hesitantly put a hand on her shoulder, speaking in a soothing tone. "Losing a loved one is never easy, and it's ok to just… not know how to feel."

She sighed softly, and leaned her head against George, looking down at the photo. A few tears slipped down her cheeks as she nodded. A guy was on the left side, his yellow hair untamed and messy, his eyes were a vibrant blue and he wore a brown button up shirt. He had a crooked grin, and was wearing a matching flower crown with the two women. Stress looked back down at the photo, a somber smile on her face.

"That's Zedaph. He always loved building contraptions and such. But… like the others NPC Grian got to him first, and he just vanished one day. A lot of us have." She finished softly.

George listened to her, wanting to comfort her but not sure how. "I'm sure they're amazing people. I know I can't really promise much, but I… I think everything will turn out ok."

She was looking down at the photo again, a small note in the corner said Goodbye Season 6! We'll miss ya! Stress tried to stop herself from being heard, but her shoulders shook gently with sobs and she leaned against George exhausted, just drained emotionally and physically. She closed her eyes and a few tears slipped down her cheeks.

"Thank you George… I just wish I could believe you." She mumbled, voice cracking with sadness.

He wrapped an arm around her and gave the girl a comforting hug. "I know you don't know me well, but… maybe let's change that." He gave her a soft smile. "I mean we're both clearly unable to sleep, may as well be productive right?"

She smiled half laughing, half sighing and shifted, still laying her head on his shoulder after the hug as she set down the photo on the window sill nearby. Eventually she nodded. "Well…why don't we play 20 questions?"

The offer was simple, and silly. But it was a nice change compared to the heavy and intense atmosphere that George felt was suffocating him most days. He hummed an agreement and nodded thinking over a question. They went back and forth for a few minutes, mostly little things, like _what's your favorite colour? How old are you? Favorite animal? Do you like boys or girls? (It was both for George)._

Stress was smiling now, and relaxing, she yawned a bit and asked the next question. "Ok ok who do you have a crush on?" She had a light joking tone with the whispered question.

He snickered at the question, but felt his cheeks heat up nonetheless, he whined quietly, "Ma'am you've gone straight for the heart with that one."

She giggled, muffling the sound with her sweater sleeves that looked brown in the dark, but looked up. "Sooo who is it? An old friend? A cute buddy?" 

George chewed his lip and looked away. "Ok ok, but, if I answer you've gotta give me one too." 

She grinned, and held up a hand, extending her little finger. "Pinkie promise." 

With the gesture as they laced fingers together he couldn't help but feel at ease. This was a moment to just forget everything, all the pain and emotion around them. It was their own little bubble that reminded him of being a little boy and sleepovers he would have.

"I.. Like Dream." He mumbled, face and ears burning red against his pale skin. 

She raised an eyebrow, and cocked her head. "Him? But why?" She mused over the answer for a moment, before speaking again. "Is he… what's he like normally? If it's any different."

George shook his head, adjusting his glasses. "He's a good guy. Honestly. He is normally pretty laid back and enjoys just having fun. He would often go out of his way to make others happy, even when he would be sacrificing something. He also doesn't normally wear the mask." 

She listened. "What's he look like?" 

George had to stop himself from getting embarrassed over what Dream looked like. They lived together, and with Sapnap, so he had always taken for granted his crush's looks.

"Well he has uh," he paused frowning. "Well I'm color blind, so to me he has golden eyes, but supposedly they're green. He has a crooked smile, and he has freckles all over. He also has two long scars that go from above his jaw, and down to his collar bones. And he has some feathers on his shoulders." 

His mind couldn't help but wander to the one time Dream had taken his hoodie off and somehow forgotten to wear a shirt underneath it. How does one just forget to wear a shirt anyways? But he had seen the dark small feathers that spread around his shoulder slightly above his shoulder blades, and the twisted scars that tore his freckled skin along his backside. Dream had gotten flustered, catching George staring at the marks, and they hadn't spoken about it since.

Stress nodded. "He… sounds nice. Why is he acting like this then?"

George half shrugged, one shoulder moving less with her head resting on it. "I'm not sure honestly. He's acting really aggressive, and… I think the end crystals and shulker boxes in this district caused some sort of episode in him."

She looked up confused, stifling another yawn. "What do you mean? I mean yeah Cub put the crystals in, which is a little weird, but the boxes are pretty normal. Do you guys just not use them?"

George shook his head. "That's the thing, there aren't any strongholds in our world, so there's no way to get into the End, or any of its resources." 

"Why?"

"I don't really know, I think whatever gave him those scars has to do with it though."

" . . . Oh."

Stress nodded, her eyes half closed and she mumbled an 'uh huh' clearly becoming sleepy. He sighed a bit and grabbed a blanket, gingerly scooting away from her as she fell asleep on him. He laid her half on a nearby beanbag, and draped the blanket over her sleeping form and said with a laugh.

"Man you never even told me your crush."

A slurred "sorry." Was his only response. 

He could feel sleep calling to him, as he laid back down in his own spot, this time making sure to _not_ nearly kick Scar in the head, he couldn't help but think about what Stress had said. Sure, at first it was odd when Dream told him there weren't any strongholds. At forest George didn't even believe him, and tried to find one, only for the Watcher's words to be proven true. Eventually he had just accepted it as normal, but now visiting Hermitcraft, made him rethink it a bit. The thought stayed in his mind like a leech living rent free as he fell asleep once again.

He was woken up again a few hours later, this time by a gentle hand shaking him, and the dawn sun rather rudely pouring in through the window without curtains. 

"George!" Sapnap's concerned voice sobered him from sleeping immediately and he shot upwards to a sitting position. "Dream's gone." 

The hissed slightly panicked words cut like a knife. "What do you mean he's gone?" George rubbed his eyes, forcing the last of sleep from his body.

"I mean he's gone! He just up and fucking vanished! He must've snuck out while we slept."

"Language!" A voice came back, Scar walking in holding a pot of warm coffee that he set on the wooden desk.

George thought back to last night, he thought he had heard some footsteps, but it was so brief and quiet he had just brushed it off. "Did he leave anything?"

Sapnap shook his head, re-tying the white bandana he always wore, pulling his dark hair from his sandy skin. "Nothing! No note no goodbye, not even a single feather."

George felt worry settle into his stomach like a heavy stone, burning his insides with a searing cold heat. Why would he just leave like that? Was he really that upset over the fight? That didn't seem right, plus Dream had seemed to have cooled down by the time they settled in for the night. George looked over at the mayor who had poured a few cups and offered it to the two boys, which both took gratefully.

It was sweet and not bitter at all, and George rather liked it. It wasn't like any coffee he'd had before, and he sipped at the hot drink, mulling over his own thoughts.

"Scar?"

"Hmmm?" Said hermit then looked up from a book he was reading hearing his name.

"Did you see Dream last night by any chance?" George asked.

Scar shook his head. "No nothing. I last saw him when he split for the night for sleeping arrangements."

"Dammit!" George hissed angrily.

"George! Language!" Scar scolded him as he placed a bookmark in the book he was reading.

Sapnap normally would've laughed, but just chuckled a little instead. Doc walked in from the other room, a large bruise had formed on his jawline and under his eye from yesterday's fight. His black hair was tussled and messy, and grumpily holding a cup of warm beans. Wisps of steam curled up and out from the lip of the mug. He took a swift drink of the still burning beverage. George couldn't help but think, _does the man even have nerves in his throat?_

"So your bast-" Doc stopped himself glancing at Scar. "So Green Giraffe is missing and nobody knows where he went, or why?"

The three boys all nodded in unison, and the creeper grunted, clearly annoyed as he flopped down onto a chair by the desk.

"Great, just great." He mumbled into his cup. 

Scar sighed, and he put this book down getting up to rummage through a drawer, pulling out a rather large map. 

"Ok well, we can worry about Dream later, for now we need to focus on tracking the others down. I have a feeling Mumbo's bot might be able to give us some answers." The mayor went on, seeming confident in his plan. 

Sapnap raised an eyebrow. "Mumbo? Robot? What?" 

Scar laughed a little. "I forget sorry! Mumbo is one of the redstoners around here. He ran for mayor too and during that time, him and his friend Grian, the actual one, built Grumbot! Their advice robot."

The two non hermits nodded in agreement, but Sap spoke again. "And how exactly is this supposed to help us?"

Doc set his mug down. "Those things visit it constantly, and have overthrown Scar as mayor. If we can just get one by themselves we might be able to track down the leader NPG."

They sat in silence for a minute, before Scar continued. "This will be dangerous, and a lot of just playing the waiting game unfortunately. We just can't risk getting caught out by … by NPG, I was lucky to escape, and we can't face him like this."

George lit up remembering the one Android that had approached them in the woods. "Mumbo! Mumbo can give us some information about when or if one of them is coming by! We could set up a trap and catch one. Maybe with Mumbo on our side we can convince them straight!"

Doc furrowed his brow looking incredulously at the others, when Scar had messaged him Tango was gone, he had apparently never been told about their secret mole.

He raised a robotic hand. "Wait wait wait, since when was this?"

George pursed his lips. "The night you ran off Mumbo… he well uh, came to our camp and spoke with us. He agreed to be a spy on the inside."

George quietly watched as the creeper hermit seemed to think over this information and huffed. "Ah I see."

When he said nothing more, George figured that was the end of the conversation. He saw in the corner of his eye Doc take another swig of the burning beverage. Stress was still asleep curled up in the blankets, and Wels was out in the lobby keeping watch for the time being. 

George stood up getting an idea. "Why don't we split? Two groups of three. Group A goes and looks for Dream, and B gets recon from this robot."

Scar looked up. "That's a brilliant idea! Ok Doc, and I can go to Grumbot. Sapnap, you and George look for Dream. Have Wels join you, we'll pay a visit to the mayoral buddy once Stress wakes up."

They discussed plans for the day, and George and Sapnap geared up with the little items they had. Wels was kind enough to lend some spare tools he had. George shifted his dark helmet glancing around towards the docks before giving the all clear.

Early morning dew still clung to the tree leaves and bushes, with literal diamonds hanging from the tall ones by the town hall like expensive lanterns. A twinge of jealousy sparked in him how can they be so well off yet we're scrounging for the little coin we have, but he didn't have time for that.

So the quest for finding the rogue Watcher began again, this time by his friends instead though

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ahhhhh!!!! We're getting the ball rolling on this plot finally!!! Who is his brother? What happened to him? Where did Dream go? Why?
> 
> Anyways here's a mostly wholesome chapter with some grumpy morning Doc for flavor
> 
> Thank you everyone for all the support and comments you leave! It means so much to me.


	15. Quiet Nights

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I see the world through eyes covered in ink and bleach  
> Cross out the ones who heard my cries and watched me weep
> 
> Hey btw Content Warning: Suicide attempt mentioned

Dream was flying high above the jungle, the cool night air ruffling through his hair and feathers, but he didn’t feel cold, he had a pretty high tolerance to temperatures, and well, wearing a bright green hoodie certainly helped as well. He glided along the treetops, wings beating gently every now and again keeping him level on the unseen air currents. Occasionally subtly adjusting he was left in silence and his own thoughts. His mind wandered but one thing he needed was to get away from the shopping district where everyone was at. There were too many things that hurt him. Sure he didn’t mind Ender chests, those were fine and around before the incident with his family. But shulker boxes, heads, and those other creatures birthed by the End still haunted him from time to time. He remembered when he had first tried to just return to normal life with his brother. With his remaining sister, only to be rejected and screamed out of their homes.    
  


After that he resolved things in his mind.

Firstly; he wasn’t going to talk about it with anyone, it hurt too much hearing his own words about it aloud, and the few who remained with the memory of the sickening crash of the teen’s server blamed him entirely for it. He also didn’t want to burden his friends with everything he carried. Server crashes were rare, true crashes that is, sure some would falter, maybe glitch. But full crashes that take it down? Nearly unheard of just lingering in the edges of people’s minds like a ghost story. It was a thing drunkards told one another around a midnight fire.    
  
Yet he had been in one, witnessing it first hand. Not only that, but he had been the  _ cause _ of the crash too. AFterwards he had fled most of his past life, abandoning his post as a true Watcher and going rogue. He played a wanderer for a long time, trapped with his own thoughts and alone. His mind had not been in a good place for years.    
  
**(hey if you’re skipping the mental stuff skip until next bold author note with this: >>>>>>>>>>)**   
  
Dream thought back to the day where he thought it was the end. Unlike players, a Watcher only has one life, there are no respawns once one passes. Alone, lost, and hated he had felt like he could be swallowed alive, and nobody would notice or care if he died. So he tried.    
  
_ Dream blinked, dazed and light headed. His ears were ringing so loud, he felt like the world was spinning around him, the distinct scent of blood clung to him. It’s coppery tang so strong he could practically taste the metal. He heard voices, they were shouting, a figure was leaning over him. He closed his eyes laying his head back down. He had been found, did he even want to have been found?  _ **_Yeah, I don’t want to leave yet._ ** _ He gave a strangled groan. _

_ Everything hurt in his body. His hands felt numb, he tried to move one, and sudden pain jolted through him. A concerned voice cut through. _

_ "No no! Don't move! Just stay still!" He squinted, trying to focus on the dark figure above him squeaked, sounding worried. _

__

_ "Good! Over here, I need help! Skeppy! He's hurt." The same voice shouted, he sounded so afraid and worried, and yet he didn't even know Dream.  _

_ He didn't deserve the strangers' help. But he had no strength to deny it, maybe even if he did he wouldn't have. _

_ Someone knelt at his head, and cradled it. "Drink. You need it." Another voice said, a different one. Tanned hands that had small diamonds along the back of his hand.  _

_ He hesitantly took the bottled water he was being offered, and only then did he realize just how thirsty he was. But he was too drained to drink it all. He tried to focus on the cloaked figure in front of him.  _

_ The boy was dark in skin tone, a deep near black blue gray color. A black jacket with red highlights draped on his body, and small slightly rounded horns peaked out from below his hood. He had dark gray hair that was falling in his eyes as he adjusted his glasses.  _

_ "Oh muffins you're really hurt!" The dark colored one said, a tail flicking behind him in worry. _

_ Something dim sparked in Dream's mind of 'this is a hybrid isn't it?' but that didn't matter. Hybrids were so rare to come across, and this one was helping him. Who was he to complain. The voice belonging to the water boy spoke up. _

_ "Bad. . . We need to get him inside."  _

_ The one seemingly named Bad sat up a bit straighter and nodded, a white figure joined his side, looking nearly identical to the dark hybrid, minus the inverted colors.  _

_ The white one spoke, his voice deeper and rumbling, "Get him to his feet, let's go where we can actually help him." _

_ Dream felt hands on his arms, helping him stagger onto his feet, still shaky and the sudden vertical movement caused his vision to fade briefly. _

_ Next thing he remembered was arguing. Though who was speaking he wasn't sure at the time. _

_ "Bad!" A voice spoke, "He is a Watcher, he's dangerous!" _

_ "I know he's a Watcher you muffin!" Someone retorted to his left, "That's exactly why we have to help him!" _

_ "Yeah but he's the Watcher  _ _ Dream _ _!" _

_ "So? Just because he's hurt things doesn't mean he's a bad guy! I wasn't going to let him die!" _

_ "Bad, you have a good heart, you really do. But isn't this a bit much? Saving someone like him?" _

_ "Don't talk like that Skep! Of course I was going to save him!" _

**_( >>>>>>>>>Basically Dream attempted it, and was saved by Badboyhalo and Skeppy. This is how he met both of them. As well as Bad's twin brother Good. They nursed Dream back to health despite the fact that he was a known dangerous figure among Watchers. Skeppy has diamonds on the back of his hand too btw)_ **

He blinked away the memory, stopping in the sky and hovering for a moment. The jungle still expanded before him, but it opened into a field to his left. The very same one where he and George had first met the hermits.

He banked left and over the field, scanning the grass before his for any signs of the npc players, he would get to the bottom of this. He had thought it over hundreds of times.

But to make sure, he ran over it again in his mind. Find Grian, get him alone, figure out  _ what _ he is, and find the solution. Whether that last bit resulted in violence or not he wouldn't know. He didn't want to hurt anyone else, and yet he still worried about it. That hazy fog returning and clouding his judgement, stealing away critical thinking. He needed to be able to focus, he didn’t want to resolve things in violence, sure he would do it in fun moments and games like manhunt. But those were never meant to be malicious, no, they were simply for fun, and at the end of the day nobody would be hurt, and everyone had enjoyed it.    
  
But this time was different, the server was infected, and Players won’t respawn until it’s fixed or cured, and those who died during it. Well, he tried not to think about the two fallen hermits. His wings beat as he slowed his flight and landed in the fields, his mask was pulled to the side, sure it didn’t change how well he could see, but he didn’t like flying with it. The plaster felt too stuffy for longer flights in his opinion. His green eyes scanned the matching grass. His hair falling in messy curls around his face, he quietly pulled his hood down. A few flowers cropped up in small clusters every now and again, and as he studied the terrain, he spotted a more worn down path. The grass lowered and brown on the winding path that disappeared into a large stone brick structure. The sides of it almost looked like. . . villager faces? He squinted walking forward, on high alert as he gingerly placed a pale hand on the gray bricks. His fingers gently tracing a few when a voice startled him.    
  
“If I didn’t know better I’d say you’ve never seen a villager farm.” A voice accented with some European origin said with a quiet chuckle. 

Startled Dream whipped around to find the owner of the voice. A familiar face blinked back at him in surprise. It was Mumbo, his blue eyes actually glowed in the dark of the night. The robotic hermit blinked back at him in surprised silence for several minutes.    
  
“S- I didn’t expect to see anyone out here.” Dream mumbled, turning back around and pulling the mask back onto his face. A gentle yet hesitant hand rested on his shoulder.    
  
“I won’t make you take it off, but you don’t need to wear that around me.” He said softly, indicating the white mask. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yooooo I'm doing coloring pages on my socials based around this, so like if anyone has a favorite chapter scene or idea and wants to request one go ahead! 
> 
> Don't worry next chapter isn't far away sorry for the kinda awkward stopping point


	16. Mumbo's Farm

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Even when I'm on my last breath
> 
> Till we get reciprocity  
> How can we stand by?
> 
> There's no difference between you and I  
> Same space and time that we occupy  
> We all just looking for a piece of the pie  
> We went blind, going eye for an eye

Mumbo tilted his head hearing the sound of footsteps on grass, and looked around from the gate he was leaning on into his villager farm. There an unusually tall man was looking around at the walls that were shaped to match the derpy residents inside of it. He walked over, Dream’s back was to Mumbo at the moment, but the redstoner could see that his hood was down. He had blond hair that came down just shy of his shoulders, and the mask was tilted to the side a little. 

It was actually a little silly of a thought, a man that seemed to be so confident, was just staring in confusion at a very simple farm, “If I didn’t know better I’d say you’ve never seen a villager farm.” He chuckled softly as he spoke, he looked at the Watcher. 

Despite the complete darkness that even Mumbo with his mechanical sight could see decently well in, it was so dim, with little to no light other than what the moon was providing to illuminate the grass and walls. In a startled gasp, Dream turned on his heels, wings fluffing and surprise in his eyes. 

Dream wasn’t wearing that freak mask. 

“S- I uh, I wasn’t expecting to see anyone here.” The green man mumbled, turning his face away and pulling the mask back onto his face, hiding it’s features once again. Mumbo honestly hated that mask. It was so . . .unnatural and it reminded him too much of the stories that Grian, the real one, had told him of an old species that supposedly couldn’t find their world. _It’s in a hidden domain_ Grian and X had told him one day, much to his confusion. But neither the Admin, nor the builder bothered to elaborate what that meant. 

Yet, here they were, with a real Watcher standing in front of him, very real, and very much so alive. 

He wanted Dream to take the mask back off. “I. . I won’t make you take it off,” he started not wanting to push the other, he had seen just how easily he would fight and kill. “But you don’t need to wear that around me you know.” 

Dream looked back at him, the mask grinning like a skull in the dim light. But he hesitantly raised a hand and removed it once again. Unclipping a pair of straps with a soft click. 

“Just ‘s a habit.” He said softly, running a thumb over the back of the mask. 

For the first time ever Mumbo got a look at the man’s face. He had bright green eyes that practically matched the hoodie he wore, and freckles dotted his skin, even trailing down his neck. Mumbo had a feeling if he could see the other’s arms they too would be splattered with the little dots. As he spoke, Mumbo noticed small fangs that were dangerously sharp. He could almost imagine a vampire sharing the teeth, but Dream’s were longer and curved backwards slightly. Dream tucked the mask into his hoodie pocket and looked up at Mumbo, a long pair of scars trailed down his cheek bone, vanishing under his jawline as he met Mumbo’s gaze. 

Mumbo blinked, he wasn’t sure what he had expected the other to look like, but this. . .wasn’t it. The other seemed to be searching Mumbo’s face for a reaction and the engineer realized he had been staring and he turned away a bit embarrassed with an awkward laugh. 

“Didn’t actually expect you to take it off.” He shrugged, rubbing the back of his neck and looking back to the farm. 

Dream looked over as well, “No, it’s alright. I figured this would eventually happen. Also, no I’ve not seen one of these before.” 

He was happy to shift the subject off of the whole mask thing, but he was surprised nonetheless. “You’ve never seen a villager farm?” 

He saw Dream shake his head gingerly, “No, back on my server we don’t really have any farms or anything. I mean we have basic stuff but that’s it. I mean it’s not huge like this place is anyways, so I suppose that adds to it. Plus I'm no admin, nor have I run a server before." He chuckled awkwardly.

Mumbo cocked his head, he knew very little, but anybody knew that a server needed an admin to be made, let alone playable. But he had a feeling even if he asked he wouldn't get an answer from the Watcher. He shifted, now at Dream's side looking up at the wall.

Mumbo was one of the tallest hermits on the entire server, standing at about 6'3". Only Doc rivaled his height before now, and Alex when the Nether soldier would occasionally visit his admin brother. Yet Dream practically towered over him, at least a head if not more above him. He guessed Dream was probably near seven feet tall. The man is a _giraffe_. 

Dream smiled a little and put his hands in his pockets. "How ironic, the two of us, standing in a field when we should be enemies." 

Mumbo laughed. "I suppose it is, isn't it."

Dream grinned laughing a bit. "I could probably kill you right now. Nobody would even know where you are for a few days."

The engineer shivered hearing those words, even though he could see the teasing expression on the Watcher, at the same time he had seen what Dream had done to Cleo. To Tango.

"Please don't." He said softly.

Dream laughed, a wheezy sound that made Mumbo concerned for the others health, "I'm joking, I can't kill you, you're our mole remember? Our spy on the inside."

"Yeah."

Mumbo didn't like how dispensable he sounded to the other. That if he wasn't providing something to the man, then he would be killed just like the others. His side was still sore and bandaged from the stab wound a few days prior. Thankfully Scars healing magic, and a few potions later made it a fraction of the pain, but he still has a slight limp because of it. 

"So what's the news?"

Mumbo blinked, bringing his thoughts back to the present. "What? Oh… well he's planning on meeting up with a few other npc hermits, and probably he's going to be looking for another body guard now that Cleo is gone."

Dream hissed softly in annoyance. "Of fucking course."

Mumbo was startled at the language, and in turn he stammered for a moment, sure he wasn't bothered by it, but being on the Hermitcraft server. Well, he had just become so used to everyone's PG language with the exception of Doc of course. He recollected himself before continuing.

"Uh, yeah. But, he's going to be alone tomorrow, if we can just jump him. It's going to be only me. At least it's supposed to be."

Dreams green eyes lit up, and he snapped his fingers, which made Mumbo flinch, half expecting another hermit to vanish, or be turned. 

"Oh! Perfect, if I can get him alone, we can just talk this out. And if he doesn't want to talk?" Dream paused pursing his lips, "I'll just say I'm not opposed to punting a third grader."

Mumbo smiled a bit, some tension leaving him, Grian was short compared to most hermits. NPG was even a few inches shorter than him, so with the absolute tower that was Dream, well the descriptor _gremlin_ seemed fitting. 

Dream extended a gloved hand to Mumbo, which he shook, when they parted he felt a weight in his hands and quickly clasped it to not drop it in the darkness. It was a small device, he recognized the bit of writing along the side of it, engraved into the smooth plastic siding of it. It was an earpiece, and it shimmered with a magic glow.

"To keep in contact." Dream said simply as Mumbo inspected the curious device.

He realized it wasn't plastic that gave it the odd look. _But bedrock. How did he make something out of Bedrock?_

"It's a Watcher device." He said, probably noticing the engineer's confused expression. "It will work over any distance, terrain, even underground. The only drawback is that it doesn't work unless both ends are in the same dimension, and same server."

Mumbo nodded, giving it another once over before clipping it in. It fit comfortably, and he barely even noticed it. He was a bit amazed at the technology if he was being honest. As he did so, Dream took off with a heavy and loud thumping of wings.

"See you on the other side!" The green Watcher called back down to the well dressed hermit as he vanished into the night sky.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next Chapter I'll link the coloring pictures along with the requests! 
> 
> Some of y'all might've noticed I've eased off the angst, and that's because shortly, it's just going to be hard hitting without an end in sight >:)


	17. Lies

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Welcome to the end of eras  
> Ice has melted back to life  
> done my time and served my sentence  
> dressed me up and watched me die

George itched at his arm, and then the small of his back for probably the dozenth time in the last hour, and it was driving him insane. The small discolored spot had appeared a few days ago, small and easily overlookable, and he assumed there might be one on his back he couldn't see. However, by now it had spiderwebbed up and along his shoulder, its sickly orange coloration was indiscernible to him, so he ignored it thinking it was merely from his own scratching. He pulled back the fabric of his sleeve to check it that morning, only to frown that it had only gotten worse. Maybe he'd been bitten by some bug and he was simply having some allergic reaction.

"Is everything alright George?" Stress asked him, looking concerned.

He didn't want to bother the others over things like this, especially not Sapnap, it was so little anyways. So he shrugged it off. "Nothing, don't worry about me! Just still sleepy from last night I suppose." He gave a chuckle, and it was true. He still felt exhausted.

Stress raised an eyebrow, but then seemed satisfied with the answer and let the subject drop. However now that they were approaching another hermit's base, someone named Bdubs supposedly, Sapnap finally pulled George aside as Wels stopped to eat with the two. Settling onto a wooden bench perched outside of a stable.

"Dude what is going on? You're scratching yourself like there's no tomorrow." Sapnap demanded holding George's arm.

He pulled away a bit defensively from the other, "I already told you I'm fine!"

Sapnap shook his head, "George I know you better. Please just be honest."

"There's nothing wrong Sap."

Sapnap pulled him closer, and before he could protest, his sleeve was lifted up along his shoulder by his captor. His friend's face went from annoyed concern, to fear, to pure worry. 

"George?! What the hell why didn't you tell me?" He hissed. 

George pulled his sleeve back down with his other hand. The dull yellow brown colored spot disappearing under it, "I didn't want to worry. Besides it isn't that bad, probably some bug or something."

" _ That bad? _ George your skin literally has an  _ orange _ spot spreading like a -" Sap's eyes widened with realization, "A-a disease. Oh … oh no."

"What? What's oh no?"

Sap quickly looked over his own skin, rolling up his sleeves and inspecting it, softly cursing to himself under his breath. Wels spoke up from where he was sitting in the grass looking at the two.

"Are you guys ok over there?" The blonde tilted his head, his mismatched brown and gold eyes looked concerned.

"Yeah we're fine!" George answered, knowing whatever this was. It was bad.  _ Really bad _ if it was upsetting the tanned boy this much.

Another thing he never wanted to bother the others about was suddenly constantly feeling exhausted and drained. He felt like his normal sleeping hours no longer were cutting it, and long hikes and patrols left him feeling like he was about ready to pass out, with his limbs being like lead weights. Not only that, but he had been faster to snap at people. Both with the hermits, and his friends. Normally he was pretty mellow, and while he had playful spats with friends, it was never serious. But now? Now he was finding little things getting on his nerves, and his temper was unusually short, patience lasting what felt like half of what it used to be.

He had worked hard to keep his tone and attitude in check, but he had slipped a few times. Yelling at Scar at one point for correcting his language, and quite literally hissing at Doc for a snarky comment under the Germans breath. Even Sapnap had seemed a little extra temperamental. Though he had dismissed it with the stress of everything happening on the server.

"No this is very not fine." Sap shook his head, shifting his white bandana he usually had tied around his hair. 

"Why? What is it?"

"That's what Doc was talking about!" The boy snapped his fingers as if George hadn't spoken at all, "That's what he was confronting Dream about. This server is hit with an infection, that's why the players are getting turned into these NPCs, and why something like a player was able to completely disable the admin!"

"Sap slow down, what are you talking about?"

He turned his steely gaze to George, "This server. . . It's been hit with an infection, and by forcing our ways in here, we've infected ourselves with it. Normally we'd be like the others, turned into some robot or whatever. But this isn't our home server, so it's manifesting. .. Like this." He indicated to the apparently orange discoloration.

"So. . . What now?" He asked a bit fearfully.

Sapnap paused a moment and shook his head, "I'm not sure if I'm being honest."

George rubbed his arm, trying to stop himself from scratching at it again as Sapnap removed his shirt on top of his black turtleneck sweater. Before removing that as well. The dark haired boy went over looking at all of his skin along his arms and shoulders much to the knights confusion. But for one reason or another Wels just shrugged and kept munching his sandwich, though he did keep looking over at the two with concern.

A soft sucked in breath from Sap got George's attention, who had already lost his appetite despite his exhaustion, "Sap?" He asked softly.

  
  


"Fuck, fuck fuck fuck." He hissed angrily, as he saw a mark along his wrist. It was dull gray and crept towards his inner elbow. It seemed much lighter than George's. . . Probably because Sap hadn't been on the server for as long. 

Wels heard the two of them and frowned, silently grabbing his communicator, and was clearly messaging someone, but wasn't saying anything aloud. He set it down, but was periodically checking the screen expectantly. 

George absently itched at his arm again, silently forcing himself to eat. He knew he needed it, and his empty stomach confirmed it, but he had no appetite to actually eat the simple sandwiches and snacks they had prepared beforehand and brought along in a small bag that Wels carried. After several long tense minutes only broken up by Sapnap shuffling and getting his shirt and sweater back on, Wels finally had some news.

"They found Dream."

George instantly perked, "Where is he?"

"He's at the shopping district apparently. He must've returned while we were out, and was probably looking to find you two." The knight shrugged simply. 

Sapnap was still pensive looking, but a hint of relief flitted across his expression, as he scrambled to his feet, "Let's go then we're burning daylight." 

  
  
  
  


Meanwhile Dream frowned as he stood, hearing voices talking. He instantly recognized the German timber voice, and bristled. Doc was the last person on this server he wanted to see, let alone talk with. However, once again the universe did not care for Dream's wishes, and a trio of hermits rounded the corner, talking. Doc was clearly aggravated and mumbled something in german he couldn't catch. The girl, he remembered her name was Stress, perked up. Pointing at Dream.

"Oh thank goodness we found you!" She darted over to Dream, Scar and Doc trailing behind her. 

"Yeah great." The creeper grumbled crossing his arms, "What the hell were you doing?!"

Scar shot a glare at Doc briefly as Dream huffed, "None of your business."

"None of my business?! This is my home! This is my server! And here you are just mucking it up like our lives don't matter!" Doc stepped forward, shouldering past the other two. 

Dream looked down at the hermit through his mask, that hazy anger returning. Doc sharply grabbed his wrist, "You think you can just hide anything from everyone? We aren't stupid  _ Watcher." _

Being called by his title stung, and Doc could see his twitch, continuing. "Did you think we'd never find out? Just exactly  _ who _ you are?" 

When Dream didn't answer Doc squared his shoulders, and held the others gaze, stating firmly and coldly, "Dream C Taken. A wanted rogue, responsible for the crash of a server, killing 30 members in it. One of the few survivors, and in those thirty Two council members, and a young admin."

_ The little boy, curled up on the ground trembling. A pair of older boys picked him up. One had dark tanned skin, purple freckles dotting his nose, and white scruffy hair untamed. The other, taller, with a similar hue, his eyes a deep golden in contrast with the maroon. An admin boy, with his older brothers, a Watcher apprentice, and an Admin in training. _

  
  


"You remember don't you?" Doc spat angrily, "Xeyek?! You knew our Admin before you lay a single finger on this server! X talks you know. He's a lot less of a closed off jackass! You took his brother. You took his family away from him! You took everything from him! But that wasn’t enough for you was it?”    
  
Doc harshly had one hand gripping Dream’s wrist, and the other balled into his green hoodie, “We know what you did, and we know why you’re here. It won’t work.”    
  
“Doc! Stop it!” Scar pleaded as he reached out to his fellow hermit friend. Doc smacked it away letting go of the Watcher’s hoodie. 

Dream stumbled a bit as he was released, his mind reeling and trying to catch up with what he had just been told. Doc turned his hate filled eyes back on him, “You can’t bring back Alex. You can’t bring back Xeyek. You are trying to help?” He shook his head, “You bastard, you’ve just doomed us all.”    
  
Scar looked between them looking concerned, “What do you mean?” His voice was timid.    
  
Doc cocked his head, “Why don’t you show him Mr. Taken?”    
  
Dream paused a moment, but he was cornered. He couldn’t just lie to them, because Doc would call him out on it, and he would be forced to tell them something either way. George and Sapnap weren’t there to back him up either, which left him alone. For the hundredth time in his life, he was left alone and fending for himself. Finally, he relented, removing his glove. Revealing the dark green stain that marred his pale freckled skin. It’s dark sickly green patch splattered across his skin in bursts, creeping up his forearm, and vanishing under the sleeve of the rolled up hoodie.    
  
“He’s infected.” Stress gasped. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> >:3


	18. Compromise

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Everybody gone bad  
> Situation, aggravation  
> Everybody, allegation  
> In the suit, on the news  
> Everybody, dog food  
> Bang, bang, shot dead  
> Everybody's gone mad

Scar stared at the scene in front of him, his heart sinking like a rock in his chest. How could he have been so stupid? How had he overlooked the most obvious answer to everything that was going wrong? Scar had studied infected servers, it was a passion project he worked on for years with a few other fellow player magicians. Players who could properly bend and wield magic were so rare, but they did exist, and often they worked to expand knowledge. He had done exactly that, working on infected servers and investigating server crashes.

Now he knew exactly why Dream had been so unsettling. It all clicked together like gea

rs finally running after being jammed for so long. Dream C Taken, the name was familiar in a chilling way. He had hated working on that file, it made him so sad, and X being a close friend, he felt even worse about constantly poking his nose into a sensitive issue, but now for once he was grateful he did. He thought back to when he was able to actually get the case file.

_A manilla folder was dropped on his desk, with a smile from an older woman. She was one of the elders of his guild. A hybrid of sorts so he had been told. She had explained one parent had been of the Watchers, and the other of the Admins. She was just as underground as the magical players it seemed._

_"Hey Scar!" She chirped happily, "Finally found that server you were asking about. Oh boy was it a pain to get!"_

_He smiled gratefully as he opened it, "Thank you Xelqua. I know the council doesn't like sharing information with us players."_

_She snorted, putting a hand on her hip, "Boy you can say that again. Why ya want this old thing anyways?"_

_Scar glanced up, his research on server crashes and the End was private. He wasn't even supposed to know about the End. The true end, not the dimension, but the being. He pursed his lips as his young kitten purred at his feet._

_"It's a crashed server." He said softly._

_Xelqua's eyes widened, "But there's not been a crash like ever in written history!"_

_Scar nodded silently, and sighed, "I know, which is why I need this one."_

_The first paper on the pile pinned together in the folder was a wanted form. Filled out by the Watcher Council. A group of the strongest, most powerful, and most feared Watchers around. They only went after serious criminals, escaped war prisoners, and infected. They rarely interfered unless absolutely necessary. The warrant was nearly a decade old. The boy framed in a photo looked to be a young teenager._

**_Wanted: Dream Clay Taken_ **

**_For the murder of_ **

**_25 players_ **

**_3 admins_ **

**_1 Watcher_ **

**_2 council members_ **

_Scar shivered seeing the numbers. The boy had crashed a server, supposedly being one of the 5 surviving members. One he had known personally, and now knew that number was only 4. Xisuma had been a part of the server, still young and an apprentice. Both his father, and younger brother had been caught in the crash. His older brother, Alex was his name, had died in an attempt to confront Dream. Or so he was told._

_Xelqua who was glancing over his shoulder gasped softly, “That’s. . .a rough case. Why are you trying to study it?”_

_Scar glanced sideways at the hybrid, “Because, the culprit is still at large. They had a whole take down operation a few blocks away from one of his supposed hideouts. They never found the guy though.”_

_She pursed her lips and nodded, “Good luck. Although that doesn’t really answer my question.”_

_“I. . .I need to know because my best friend was involved in this, and he asked if I could keep tabs on the Watcher’s case. It’s a lot of classified info.”_

_She nodded, “Yeah I know, as shady as it is it was some under the table money to convince someone to get me these files.”_

_“The council is always shady, that’s why I have no trust in them.”_

_“Me neither. But you know how it is. Good luck Scar, you and your guild have your work cut out for you.”_

Scar blinked at the memory, taking a few steps backwards as he locked eyes with the masked man, his hands shaking. Dream was here, and he was infected with whatever was plaguing the Hermitcraft server. He grabbed Stress by her wrist, pulling her away with him as he shook his head. 

"Doc we need to go." Scar said, barely trusting his voice.

Doc turned to look at him with confusion, and anger, "Scar we can't just leave him! Who knows what he'd do?!" 

Dream still seemed to be in shock that the players had known who he was, what he was. So he was standing there silently. 

"Doc please, for once just listen to me and trust me." The wizard pleaded looking between the two men across from him.

Dream raised a hand, pulling his hood down, and slowly he removed the mask. It was the first time any one of the hermits had seen his actual face. Scar blinked as he saw the jagged scars that trailed down the side of his face and neck. Dream had bright green eyes that shimmered in the sunlight, and he guessed if it were dark they might have that dull glow of magic to them. 

"We can make a compromise."

Doc spun on his heels seemingly spluttering in disbelief, "A compromise?! With you?! Do you think we’re absolutely out of our minds?!"

Dream paused, his eyes flicking between Scar, Stress, and Doc, "Yes. I'm on your side, really." His voice was gentle, but Scar didn't trust it at all.

"And what proof do we have?! These robots are still our friends too you know!" Doc glared back at the Watcher.

"I know, and … I'm sorry. They should never have died. But we can fix this, we can still set this server right, but we need a team here."

Doc shook his head, making an x motion with his arms and hands, "No no way are we teaming with you! No way even if hell froze over."

Dream frowned, it was still a little jarring seeing actual expressions from a literal masked man. Scar sighed softly, as he shook his head.

"I… I'm with Doc here." He nodded, "If we have another loss. . .I don’t want to lose any more of the hermits. They don’t deserve this, this isn’t their fault anymore than it is yours or mine.” 

Dream looked between them, his jaw hardening and his gaze evened, “Fine. You try your way, and when you fail don’t come for help.” 

Stress flinched behind Scar at the sharp tone suddenly, and he heard her shift away from him. Scar faced the other, disdain and worry in his stomach, “You’re staying here, then you and your friends are under our command. You will follow us, and not the other way around.” 

He wasn’t sure where the confidence in his voice came from, because he couldn’t find it in himself that much was certain. He saw Doc nod in agreement next to him. 

“I am the leader now, I don’t give a shit about titles, race, or anything else. You are not above either of us, and you’re going to follow me.” 

Dream kept a cool stare as he watched them, his tone now monotone, with the slight hint of anger barely edging it. His pale fingers brushed over the hilt of his sword, sheathed at his hip. “Then what is your plan Doc?” 

* * *

George and Sapnap arrived into the clearing at the district, with Wels leading the way. Wels instantly went to his fellow hermits who were quietly talking among themselves. Scar seemed to be the one leading the discussion, talking with gestures, and summoning images he recognized as magic. He was a bit confused, he thought only Watchers and Admins could use magic. Dream was sitting on a nearby bench, sword across his lap as he ran a whetstone across the blue blade. His mask was clipped at his side, and his hood down, he had a scowl on his face and was keeping quiet. George and Sapnap split off from Wel’s and settled down next to their friend. 

“Dream what happened?” Sapnap frowned, glancing sideways at the others. 

Dream growled softly, “Doc’s in charge now, once we’re done dealing with the fucking gremlin we’re leaving.” He had gloves on at the moment and George could only think of how that probably made sharpening his weapon harder. 

“What?” Sap sat down trying to pry an answer from his buddy. 

“I said what I said.” He snapped back, an angry glare on his face, which softened as Sap gave a startled sound and flinched. “Sorry . . .just tense. He has a plan on how to take him down. Me, Scar and you Sap will leave tomorrow at dawn, Scar will lead us to another hermit’s base. His name is Iskall, and I’ll get intel from Mumbo. From there we trap down, and separate NPG from the others, without them it’s just his glove, and I don’t think he can affect us. Us not being from the server, and Scar being a player with magic.” 

The two nodded as they listened to Dream explain, they would gear up tonight and plan the stake out. Scar would guide them to the ‘omega’ tree that was Iskall’s base before sun up, from there they would wait for Mumbo and Grian.

It was time to put an end to this disaster. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yo totally haven't been putting this off with my other fic totally not. Lol.
> 
> Anyways we're about to just go for the free fall y'all ~


	19. Quick A/N

Hey everyone! It's me Nines 

Just a few things I wanna put out there for this book and clarify since I don't like writing long end chapter notes, and I'm sure y'all don't like reading them

1) _Are we near the end of this story?_

No! Not even close! Hermitcraft while it plays a huge role in it is just the first half of this! The main focus of this story and always has been Dream, and his choices consequences

2) _Isn't Dream being a bit of an asshole?_

Yes sirree. He is, and I've not written him (nor will I) create him as some sort of white knight, but he's not a total jerk either. My idea was for the reader to pity him, and understand him. Not necessarily root for him. The name of the book _ **Right Side of History**_ isn't Dream alone on his side. It's an ironic title with the ending here.

3) _Are you the sole author and or editor?_

Nope! I have an amazing friend who's helped me with creating huge chunks of future chapters! As well as creating emotional scenes and just being an amazing friend where we can bounce ideas off one another! I am the only actual _writer_ of this story, but by no means am I the only creator. They've currently asked me to keep them a mystery for my readers, but those of you in my discord group probs know who lol.

4) _How often do you update? I've noticed a real slow down in this one suddenly._

I apologize! I actually have several future chapters well planned out and ideas. However my biggest issue at the moment is NPC Grian. My friend doesn't know Hermitcraft as well, so it's harder to plan these next few chapters without making them seem rushed, forced, or boring. And I don't want to create just filler chapters. So if you follow me as a whole and seen me writing a lot of my other book _**Diamonds In The Dark**_ it's because while I'm trying to put together the defeat of NPG (while still having it line up with my lore and not killing him) I'm making that as a self indulgence style fic. 

School has also started back up slowing my progress! As well as my co-author/ creator is on opposite timezones from me atm.

Anyways sorry for the disappointment of not a new chapter. I have good plans coming in shortly and hope to take you on the adventure of this book!


	20. Well That Was A Bad Idea

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Are you insane like me?  
> Been in pain like me?  
> Bought a hundred dollar bottle of champagne like me?  
> Just to pour that motherfucker down the drain like me?  
> Would you use your water bill to dry the stain like me?
> 
> And all the people say  
> You can't wake up, this is not a dream  
> You're part of a machine, you are not a human being  
> With your face all made up, living on a screen  
> Low on self esteem, so you run on gasoline  
> I think there's a flaw in my code  
> These voices won't leave me alone

Dream’s wings beat against the gale that fought to throw him off balance, Doc and Wels flanked him with their elytra. A brief flash of jealousy crossed him, sure fake wings were bulkier, and didn’t move as easily, but on windy days like today their rockets easily propelled them without risk and kept them afloat. He had his mask on again, having put it back on before Wel’s, George and Sapnap had returned the day before. They had taken turns on watch and split up. Doc, Wel’s and Dream would go to the top of the tree and scout, which Scar had protested to not wanting to leave Dream and Doc together. But now their team could surround the canopy, and the base with splitting. Hopefully flushing out NPG from wherever he may be hiding in the trunk. Mumbo was their eyes on the inside, and was hopefully giving them the right information. 

Their target was supposed to be in what was called the “Diamond Vault” in the tree. Near the base on the inside of one of its large roots and trunk was where it was nestled according to Stress. They would corner the ring leader gremlin there.

Stress, Sapnap, and George had decided to be their ground team since neither of his friends knew how to use elytra, or had their own wings. Scar was their fall back, waiting for the ground team at the tree already, he had extra gear, potions, and his own healing magic for any wounds or injuries. They just had to hope everything would work out. As long as the info Mumbo was giving them was right, then everything would be just fine. 

Dream landed softly on one of the many sprawling branches that were thicker than he was tall even along their thinner branches. His dark wings folded close against himself and another pair of feet landed beside him. The mob player hybrid landing at his side, shooting a dark look his way as Wels landed quietly next to them. Dream was the only one without armor, Doc had refused to give any to him saying _it won’t make a difference if he gets what he wants anyways._ Not wanting to break into another argument, he had reluctantly agreed, and went without armor for the mission. He placed a finger on the ear piece, it crackled for a moment before connecting with their mole. 

“We’re here Mumbo. Where is he?” 

Silence was his response. Dream frowned beneath the mask, waiting another minute before calling again. 

“Mumbo, come in. Where is NPG?” 

No response again, and now nervousness set in. He could dismiss it as Mumbo just not wearing it, or forgetting to turn his mic on or something else, something simple like that, but he couldn’t afford little slip ups. He didn’t have the luxury and safety netting to give the hermit the benefit of the doubt. 

“Mumbo?” 

A crackle rang out and a frantic voice came back, practically shrieking. 

“CANOPY!! HE’S IN THE CANOPY!!” 

Dream barely had a change to register what was being screamed in his ear before a red shape darted forward and blocked their path. The purple magic of teleportation was dissipating quickly. The little android Grian stood in front of them, lip curled into a silent snarl as he held a metallic gloved hand up. He quickly remembered what Scar and Doc had explained. 

That gauntlet, the _concrete stones, they’re the source of his power, and probably this infection_ Dream thought to himself, thinking quickly and unsheathing his sword. They could take him down easily, he just needed an opening. The NPG stood with a small smirk, he was wearing sunglasses which he looked up at Dream from above them. Those were new.

“Well well well. Look who we have here.” He giggled softly, putting his hands on his hips and facing the three men against him. “And I thought I would have to go looking for you to bring you guys out of hiding. Instead you came right to me.” 

“This ends here NPC Grian! You’re outnumbered” Doc glared angrily, his own netherite sword drawn. 

The gremlin looked between them unfazed, he raised a hand, with a tutting sound. “Perhaps. . . but I am not outgunned, nor outplanned my friend.” He had a wicked grin as he snapped his gloved fingers. 

Dream tensed unsure what to expect, but Wels was holding his head next to them, knees slowly buckling. After a moment the blond knight's eyes glowed a fiery orange, and his skin had metallic plating to it as he stood straighter, now an android. He picked up his sword, and growled lowly, large fangs coming from his mouth. He lunged at Doc moments later. The creeper met the steel blade with his own, a sharp metallic clange ringing out in the treetop. 

“Helsknight!” Doc barely was able to get the warning out before being locked into combat with the now turned hermit. 

Dream turned to face NPG again as the gremlin summoned his own diamond sword. Dream and him fought for a few moments, NPG wasn’t necessarily the best fighter, but he had fast reflexes, which prevented the Watcher from landing a blow. They clashed repeatedly, neither gaining the upper hand for several minutes. 

A voice yelped behind him. He swiveled to see what had happened, to see Doc, holding his arm which was now bleeding badly, and his elytra had been torn off of his back. Hels seemed to be much less affected, a cut on his cheek and dents in his armor was the only indicator that Doc had even been managing to hit him. Doc stepped backwards, using his off hand to fend off blows. His mismatched eyes were trained on his opponent, and Dream moved forward to interfere.

Doc’s eyes widened as Hel’s kept attacking him, and in Dream’s distracted state, a force thumped against his side sending him stumbling down the branch as the air was knocked out of him. The fake Grian slammed into him and sent him tumbling to the bark of the massive branch. His cheek stung, and had a slight metallic scent now. He met the other’s blue sword with his own barely in time to stop it from piercing his chest as he rolled onto his back, sparks of magic flew off the enchanted blades and Dream shoved the smaller thing off of him. Scrambling quickly to his feet, his hands and jaw scraped from being shoved to the wood.

“DREAM!” Two voices screamed at him, one in his ear, the other the creeper who was desperately clinging to a branch, his body dangling over a thousand feet in the air. Doc sounded so helpless, clinging to the branch for dear life, he looked to Dream terrified. 

The other was George, who was trying to contact him clearly. Dream didn’t think, he didn’t have time to think, he rushed forwards as Helsknight slammed the butt of his sword against Doc’s bad arm, who cried out as he lost his hold on his saving grace. Bits of wood flaked off falling with Doc. Dream rushed forward, running off the edge in a leap, and plunged after Doc, who was quickly tumbling down to the treetops. He extended his arm, the falling man just a few inches out of reach. His fingertips grasped at empty air. The tree canopy was quickly rushing up to meet them though, He beat his wings trying to force himself to go faster, desperately grasping at the man who was just out of reach.

_Just a little farther!_

He tucked his wings close, the wind tearing at his skin, feathers, and clothes as he rushed downwards, when suddenly the creeper vanished into the thick tree canopy, with a shriek of pain. Dream had no choice but to pull up, his wings instinctively extended, catching the air and jolting him backwards. He flapped madly trying to even himself out as he searched the ground below, but it was no use. The thick tops of the jungles had completely swallowed the man whole. He turned mid-air, Dream was quickly trying to return back to the fight, putting a hand on the earpiece. 

“George! Come in!” He was out of breath and shaky sounding, but he didn’t care. 

George came back clearly sounding worried. “Dream? What’s going on? What the hell just happened?!” 

“No time to explain, I’ll tell you later. Target in the omega canopy, Wel’s and Doc down. Need you guys.” He panted

“Dream what?! What about Doc? What the hell who just fell?!” George was shouting at him but he ignored it, landing on the branch. 

Blood made some of the bark slick and Hels was collapsed on part of the larger branch. Dream was looking around, NPG was nowhere to be found. A quick check over on the knight revealed he was mostly unharmed, save for a few dents and bruises from his fight with Doc. He snarled and slammed a fist on the branch, the dense bark scraping his hand, and tearing his skin a little. The metal now plastering Wels’ skin stood out against his pale face, eyes closed, and limp.

“Mumbo?” He called over their comms. 

Mumbo came back sheepishly. “I’m here, NPG teleported to the ground, I’m meeting up with him now and -.” 

“MUMBO WHAT THE FUCK WAS THAT?!” He shouted over the line, loud enough he could feel his own voice scratching his throat. 

A brief moment of silence before Mumbo came back. “Yell at me later, we need you on the ground now.” 

“Fine, but I am far from done with this shit that you just pulled.” 

Dream quickly shifted, lifting Hels and holding the man in his arms. Sparks and embers of fire flitted off the man’s now fiery hair and his plaid skin. He awkwardly flew down to their rendezvous, where he met up with George, Scar, Sapnap, and Stress. Stress quickly helped Dream, and with his help set him on the ground, as she and Scar looked over him. Dream perked up, looking around for Mumbo as the hermits checked over one another.

"Where's Doc?" Scar asked, sounding scared.

"I don’t know." Dream simply answered.

"What? Wait where is - ?" Stress began to ask but Dream cut her off.

“Mumbo cords now.” He ordered, his throat stung slightly from yelling. 

Mumbo complied quickly and quietly, giving him the numbers, so Dream, George, and Sap set off to find wherever NPG had taken off to, while Scar and Stress aided Wels - no Hels. Even if they had no idea how the night would react upon waking. He was only a few hundred blocks, and with a quick turn and a few minutes later they could hear voices ahead of them. Dream held his hand up indicating for the others to slow and to be as quiet as possible. Peaking through the dense shrub, he could make out NPG and Mumbo in a small clearing just ahead of them. Dream signed to Sapnap and George to spread out. He spoke softly, his voice barely a whisper. 

“Mumbo, don’t acknowledge me. Keep him occupied, we’re on the perimeter.” 

He noticed Mumbo briefly glance around before continuing the rushed conversation with the imposter gremlin. He stalked forward, silent as the ocelots of the jungle before he broke through the brush. NPG whirled on his heels to face Dream, raising a sword and smirking. He had fast reactions that much was evident, even for his tiny size. 

“Come back for more? I may not have the power to make you perfect like the others, but that won’t stop me from sending you back to your own home server!” He said triumphantly. 

Dream looked over at Mumbo, and squared his shoulders as he looked the Grian in the eyes, removing his mask as his deep green eyes bored into the shorter man. He didn't care who saw the scars that marred his face, or even who saw his face at this point. All that mattered was saving this server before the infection reached George and Sapnap.

“NPC Grian, you’re surrounded, I’d suggest you lower your weapon.” He said calmly, keeping his hands crossed on his chest, sword sheathed.

Dream saw him hesitate slightly. For just a moment his shoulders shifted, and the sword ever so slightly lowered. But quickly he hefted it again. But that hesitation gave both George and Sap a chance to emerge from their hiding places. Mumbo shifted away from the other, and that’s when NPG faltered visibly. The gremlin was surrounded on all sides by Dream, his friends, and now Mumbo.

“Mumbo?” His voice sounded so hurt, so _human_.

It made Dream think for an extra moment. All the others had been so robotic, so emotionless. Yet now NPG was being more human than he had ever seen Doc be. Mumbo kept his gaze low and away from the other hermit, staying silent as NPG lowered the sword. 

“I thought -. . .I thought you wanted to be perfect.” Realization sparked in NPG’s blue eyes, “That’s how they knew we were here isn’t it?” 

Mumbo wordlessly nodded, and NPG was standing in place, his sword lowered a bit, his eyes shone with unshed tears.

“How could you?” His voice trembled and cracked at the end, “After everything we’ve been through? After Cleo and Tango? You’re siding with him? I thought. . . .I thought I was your friend.” 

Dream cut in. “Lower your sword, and surrender..” He demanded, and the fire returned to the android’s eyes. 

“Over my dead body.” He hissed and raised the sword, moving forward to attack, but his movements were too slow. He was too obvious in his actions.

In a swift motion Sapnap and George both rushed forward, and tackled him. Sapnap was kneeling on the small of his back, his tanned hands pinning down the much smaller fake by his shoulders, falling to the ground with a muffled umph. Grian shifted trying to break free and he squirmed and George roughly grabbed NPG’s wrists, holding his hands down to keep him from snapping, or trying any other tricks he may have with the glove. Mumbo cried out suddenly at their harsh treatment, making all eyes turn to him.

“Don’t hurt him! Please!” Mumbo asked softly, his eyes wet with tears that threatened to spill over. “I don’t want him hurt.”

George and Sap both paused but Sapnap nodded. “Ok.” He said softly. 

They had NPG pinned, and at their mercy. For the first time in over a month, he was no longer the most powerful thing on the server. At least the most powerful thing that could actually use his power. 

“Where are the others?” Dream knelt down in front of him, who had his face in the dirt, dirty blond hair now more brown at the tips. 

“I’m not telling you. I never will.” He spat angrily. 

Dream tilted his head, a small smile crossing his face. _“I don’t think you’re in a negotiable position buddy.”_ He mocked NPG’s voice.

NPG paused, eyes widening slightly, but he silently resigned himself. “In their own dimension. But I don’t have to tell you crap all.” He finally answered quietly.

“Well we have two choices here fucking gremlin.” Dream’s tone became hard again, his mind edging with that haze again. His own mind betraying him and screaming at him. 

_Kill him, he’s weak, It would be a mercy_

_Shut up_

_You know you want to ~_

**_Shut. Up._ **

“Either you comply, and re-open a door to this dimension, or we forcefully take that glove and do it ourselves, and deal with you ourselves.” 

NPG pondered the offer for several minutes, “And if I comply?”

Dream rested a hand on one knee, “Well, then we destroy the concrete stones, and my buddies and I take our leave. Whatever punishment is entailed will be your admin’s choice. So what do you say?” 

“Deal.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Heyyyy! Celebration of 3k hits!!!! We have a discord now all set up, so if you wanna join us here  
> https://discord.gg/4KQYZ9t


	21. Hourglasses

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Say my name and his in the same breath.  
> I dare you to say they taste the same.  
> Let the leaves fall off in the summer,  
> And let December glow in flames.
> 
> These friends, they don't love you.

They had taken NPG and bound his wrists, and took the glove. None of the hermits dared to touch it, and Dream was just as hesitant to do anything with it either, he had seen its power. It was so simple in concept, a few sets of enchanted colored concrete, and yet it was powerful enough to rival the magic of an Admin, an Admin. Which were widely revered as one of the most powerful beings, only outranked by the rare Crafters, and even rarer hybrids. Which some may even argue with you that they don’t exist, but Dream knew better, he had for a long time. Even if he didn’t tell others this, after all his past was something he held close, and chained off to everyone. He hadn’t ever even told Sapnap, who he met within a year after that incident, or George, let alone just freely telling the other members of his server. After a few snippy retorts or Dream quickly shutting them down, people learned not to ask about who (or what) he was before he ran their server. Even George, with many attempts, and arguments, had eventually conceded and stopped asking. 

They were back in the town hall, Scar had decided to take a team of him, George, and Stress to go looking for the missing german in the woods. They would head to the jungle, and bring back their (hopefully) still living friend, and from there they could all recoup. Leaving Dream, Sapnap, and Mumbo to watch over their two android -y opponents. Wels . . .well now Helsknight had started to stir, blinking sleepily. His glowing orange eyes were full of confusion as he looked around. The orange was slowly fading though as he sat up and stretched experimentally, it seemed in NPC Grian’s haste to control the situation it was just a temporary effect onto the poor knight. But he still seemed to be disoriented regardless. 

Sapnap was standing at the doorway where the three android human hybrids were resting. There had been a spare office that was mostly unfurnished on the inside of the town hall that Scar had given them. Which is where the pair had decided would be best to keep the NPCs in case they tried anything, and Mumbo had fallen asleep against his shorter gremlin friend. Sap was also boredly trying to light the fireplace with a set of flint and steel, and some books. Nobody knew where he had gotten it (Dream had made sure he didn’t have it coming here), but if anyone was going to have it, it would be the arsonist Sapnap.

Dream was sharpening an axe that he had traded his sword for. Well more like he had given Scar the sword to make sure the two hermits and his friend remained safe. George probably would've been his first pick normally, but it was less about who was actually armed, over the act of trust. Giving them a weapon to protect themselves, a weapon that was his and willingly handing it over to Scar. The axe was a device he was far more familiar with anyways (even if everyone except Sapnap and George had been confused about the weapon choice). He had the mask clipped back on hiding his face, and glanced sideways where the fake Grian was shooting a death glare back at the Watcher. 

“You won’t win this.” He spat, as he wiggled against the ropes again, his wrists slightly chaffed and red from his struggle. 

“You won’t shut the fuck up” Sanap mumbled under his breath with a laugh.

Dream paused taking a moment to respond as he lowered the axe, and glanced at the tanned boy, “And neither will you NPG. I don’t need to win this, I just need to take you down, it seems one of us was far more successful in our goal.” 

NPC Grian curled his lip and shook his head, the small floating point of hair behind him bobbed with the movement, “You haven’t done anything helpful, all you’ve done is turn your own allies against you. Sooner or later you'll be completely alone against whatever you're facing. You’re nothing, just because you think you’re so high and mighty with the title of whatever-you-are doesn’t make you better than us, and it certainly doesn’t give you a right to _kill.”_

Dream frowned beneath the mask, his hands burned with an aching pain, and that haze began to nag at him with it, but he forced it away while standing up, and slinging the black shimmering axe over his shoulder,

“Watch your tongue, or perhaps you’ll lose that too.” He hissed scathingly. 

Sap looked at him a little bewildered at the uncharacteristic threat from his friend, but said nothing when Dream turned his masked gaze back to him, biting back any comments he may have had. Grian seemed to try and study Dream, as if judging how much truth was hiding behind his words, but he fell quiet, leaning against the wall again. Although not before shooting a glare at Dream as he shifted and turned his back to the pair from the SMP. Mumbo who was leaning against him startled awake briefly before falling back into a lulling sleep, the poor engineer seemed exhausted. Perhaps George was having better luck among his hermit companions.

* * *

On the other hand in the thick jungle, miles away, and hiking, was the second group. This one more human hermits than the other. Scar was leading the way being the most familiar of them with the area, although Stress seemed to know the trees fairly well too, just not this particular area. To him they all seemed the exact same. George and Stress followed behind the mayor as they looked through the thick foliage and trees calling for Doc. George was faltering the longer they were greeted with silence, none of their calls or searches had yielded a reply or result yet. He just hoped they would find the creeper alive at this point, and not a broken and cold body. Stress looked around and up as the trees opened, giving way to the lake where Iskall’s massive omega tree resided. She frowned slightly looking around and scanning up the massive ‘omega’ tree (as they insisted it was named). Iskall, as they had explained was one of the hermits, there were a few dozen of them, although George struggled to keep track of them all in his head. Iskall was an engineer, and judging by the tree, a skilled builder as well, unfortunately though, he was one of many who fell victim to becoming an NPC.

“George, which side did they fall from?” She asked, not looking at the english boy as she spoke, bringing him out of his thoughts. 

George paused as he orientated himself with a compass, “Dream said they were to the south east so... “ he trailed off as he walked a few paces and dragged out the vowel in _so_ and pointed, “He has to be somewhere around here.” 

The lake itself was huge, and the tree loomed thousands of blocks into the sky, with thick treetops of the jungle canopy expanding as far as he could see. The thick trunks of the much smaller trees faded into shadows as the dense foliage swallowed the light from his far reaching vision. He had no idea just how large the hermit’s territory was, but it was certainly thousands more than anything on the SMP. After all L’manberg was only a couple hundred, and even Ponk’s area was a reasonable size. The whole Hermitcraft server seemed amplified in size compared to his home server. Both with members, builds, and machinery. 

Scar sighed softly as he adjusted his gaudy purple suit jacket, “So we give this a mile radius search? We can split up individually?” 

“That’ll take hours! Can't we -” George protested but was cut off by Stress raising a hand. 

“Doc is our friend, and as much as I hate to split up, the sooner we find him the better. Who knows how hurt he is?! A fall from that height - “ She stopped herself, her eyes becoming shiny with unshed tears, and Scar reached over and put a hand on her shoulder in silent comfort. Even her flower crown in her auburn hair seemed wilted with her mood.

“We’ll find him, we have our communicators if anything happens. Plus their leader is currently under Mumbo’s watch.” Scar assured gently. The mayor’s gentle smile was pulled a little crookedly with the set of two scars that pulled his lip a bit oddly, but gave him an ironically charming look.

“. . .And Dream and Sapnap.” George added with a small sigh and nodding, “Let’s spread out, and meet back here at sundown unless we find him sooner ok?” 

"Sounds good, if you find him and he's hurt, send out your coords ok?" Scar added as he began walking into the treeline, back to the trees as he faced them before turning into the woody greens.

The other two nodded and they broke off heading into the dense thicket of trees themselves, George went deeper into the woods, and Stress went around the edges of the lake, in case Doc had tried to get back to the water. George picked his way through the jungle, thick bushes crowded out the semi cleared paths, and bramble choked out any stray trees or trails leading off into the jungle, birds chirped from unseen branches, all while the air was hot and heavy. The canopy was a dense, rich green, and only the occasional beam of light managed to make its way onto the forest floor between the massive and foreboding leaves. The grass was damp with the surrounding humidity, and slick with mud and dew, pebbles littered the path adding to the precarious trek that was navigating the jungles. George brushed some vines from his path only for them to break off and fall on him, dropping leaves and a few bugs on him. He growled annoyed as he disentagled himself from the leafy ropes shaking himself off, he was starting to understand why Dream hated navigating the jungle especially with his large wings. He could only imagine how aggravating it would be if they got caught in branches or nagging leaves. Or the snagging thorns from the occasional tropical plant, or stray brambles.

“Doc?!” He shouted again for what was the hundredth time, perhaps more, his throat was growing hoarse from the yelling. 

The usual response of silence came back. 

Thirty-five minutes since the initial fall. Thirty-five minutes since Doc could’ve fallen broken onto the ground, and every moment counted against them. 

He shoved past a low hanging tree and its branches that grabbed at his shirt, when suddenly hot white sunlight blinded him. He stopped blinking and shielding his eyes from the sudden light shift with his hands as he looked up, the canopy was torn and broken in patches. Broken branches clung to their home trees by jagged splinters, and a human sized hole was torn right through the tallest treetops, this was the place. It had to be. Dread surged up his chest, and clenched his throat as he looked back down on the ground, suddenly terrified of what he would see. On the ground was a broken body lay, limp, unmoving, and unresponsive. 

“Shit.” George hissed rushing over to the creeper hybrid’s side, and quickly looked him over. 

Several scratches, small cuts, and bruises littered his body, leaves had fluttered down on him from his fall through the jungle tops. He was utterly still, and more panic rose in George’s throat as his mind ran over the most important vitals. **Response, breathing, heartbeat.** The peaceful scenery was like a cruel joke with the injured hermit lying on the ground in the center of it, sprawled and silent.

Doc was obviously failing the first off the list, but still George tapped him, then shook his shoulder lightly, trying to get any sort of response. Nothing. His left arm was bent at an awkward and unnatural angle between the elbow and wrist, broken along the forearm, bruising ran along his limbs and a large cut bled on his cheek. A faint shudder of his chest once, or twice was the only indicator the man was even alive. Suddenly he fell still. **No.**

Was he still breathing? _No . . ._

_What was next?_

_Heartbeat_? 

George placed his fingers against the man’s neck, his skin was still warm. That was a good sign, even if nothing in heartbeat wise could be felt. It had been half an hour, maybe more since Dream reported about Doc falling, since George had seen the two bodies plummeting to the ground, and if he was still breathing until now, he could still survive. He tried to remember what Wilbur had taught him about first aid, the man had insisted on teaching everyone early on in joining the server. _Seven minutes until they’re brain dead once their heart fails_. He wasn’t sure how long Doc hadn’t been breathing now, but, since his heart had stopped, he had to act fast. 

George began CPR, _hundred compressions per minute,_ that was the pace Wilbur had taught. Two breaths, hundred pumps, one minute. He kept going with those numbers, the only thought in his mind, until his arms burned, and he was panting and sweating. His clothes clung to him with the humidity and sweat, and his hair fell in strands in his eyes, sticking to his forehead and glasses. He just kept repeating the numbers in his mind to keep himself focused. He finally took a breather as he felt as if he was about to give out, and just go limp. He couldn’t help if he passed out without telling anyone where he was, he needed to stay awake and let the others know. So he sent a fast message on his communicator to the general server, he had no time to set apart the individual hermits, even if it meant a risk of the NPC’s finding him. The message just had a set of coordinates and a _help_. Hopefully the others would understand his message. 

Seven minutes. 

At the least it had been four. His watch kept ticking like a mocking heartbeat.

George checked again for a pulse only to find nothing, he kept going, the hermits could find them. The hermits would find him, Dream would find him, and everything would be okay. Help was coming, help was coming soon. They had to find him. He was breathing heavily but forced himself back upright. 

Six minutes.

Help wasn’t going to be soon enough. 

He glanced at his watch after he started the rescue breaths again, despite his body protesting, he pushed past it the best he could. The clock was against him, and he didn't have it's generosity to take a break. A race against the clock, and the sand was quickly running out of his hourglass. But most importantly, it was running out for Doc, a part of him wished he had powers like Dream. He could summon a bolt of electricity, a makeshift defibrillator, it would be helpful to have, but he didn’t. He had to work with what he had. The seconds continued to pass uncaringly.

Five minutes. 

Nothing.

“Dammit!” He gasped, voice hoarse and painful as he begged. “Come back Doc, please come back. We need you! Scar needs you! Stress needs you!” 

Desperation started to set in, his muscles screamed for him to stop, his hands sweaty and hurting, his arms burning with a white fire, but George wasn’t going to give up, he couldn’t give up. Even if he didn’t know Doc well, he could be saved, he needed to be saved. Doc would survive this. There were too many people who needed the german, even if George wasn’t his friend, Doc had plenty of friends waiting for him, friends who wanted him to come back alive. He risked a final glance at his watch as his body gave in to the protests even against him trying to fight to continue. His heart was pounding in his ears, mocking him with his efforts to bring the man back.

Two minutes. 

One.

It was too late. 

He collapsed breathing hard, and gasping for enough oxygen in his own lungs, his chest heaving grateful for the break. His hands were trembling as he forced himself back to his knees. Two fingers gently pressed against Doc’s neck, desperately, pleadingly trying to find a pulse, a sign of life. To find anything. He closed his eyes praying to whatever high being may be listening that this would work. Perhaps the heavens were busy, perhaps they were angry, but either way the skies did not answer him. Nothing could be felt beneath his hands other than his own racing pulse.

"No! No no no no NO!" George shouted to the empty trees not caring how much it pained him to scream, the still body in front of him was motionless. He screamed to the heavens that were uncaring and unceasingly cold. Tears threatened to prick at his eyes as he fell to the ground shivering and shaking still. 

Seven minutes had come and gone.

Seven minutes, and no pulse. _He had failed,_ he had failed to help, he had failed to keep Doc safe for the hermits, and his friends. Seven simple minutes in the universe's time table was all it took though. 

Doc was dead.


	22. Rescue

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Let me die, let me drown, lay my bones in the ground  
> I will still come around when the time for sleep is through  
> Over hill, over dale, through the valley and vale  
> Do not weep, do not wail, I am coming home to you

Dream had been lost in thought when his communicator buzzed bringing him back to reality. He fished it from his hoodie, and looked down at the screen. A general server message from George, that was strange, especially since they had agreed to keep messages private to prevent the other npc’s from locating them. The message was frantic and simple. 

-499 62 -1,2201 help. 

He frowned and stood, grabbing his axe and mask as he peaked back inside the town hall, and called out to the others. 

“Sap, George needs help, I’m going to go find him.” 

Sapnap looked up, cocking his head a bit, his white bandana doing a poor job of keeping his dark hair from his eyes, and he shrugged. “Fine, but if you die, I’m not hauling your ass back.” He joked as Dream nodded and left.

NPG shifted, bolting upright, and almost shoving the sleeping Mumbo to the floor, “Wait! You can’t just leave! What about us, what about Welsknight? Mumbo? Me?”

“Sapnap is here, isn’t he?” Dream said coldly, not looking back as he placed on his mask. 

Once the cover was back on, the world took on its familiar blue hue of magic. The reds and yellows of the world faded becoming shades of gray, black and dark blues. He checked the coordinates once more, before running, and taking off into the sky with a few heavy beats of his wings. The air was cool, and sunny, but he could see a storm starting to form on the horizon heading towards the shopping district. He took off towards the jungle as fast as his wings would carry him. 

He wasn’t fast enough though, he was soaring over the canopy, checking his coordinates every few minutes to correct his flight, he was a couple hundred blocks away when his communicator buzzed again. He slowed his flight to check the message, the normally pale screen a dull light blue. Six words had appeared, a message from the server that made his blood run cold. 

Docm77 fell from a great h ei hgj t

A death message, but something was wrong with it. He turned and flew down below the canopy, the thick branches and vines clawing at his skin and wings. He forced his way down below the treetops, and onto the forest floor. He tucked his wings close as he landed and there was a figure a few feet away looking startled. It was Scar, who’s garish outfit stood out among the dense foliage, and he turned around hearing the commotion the Watcher had made dropping down from the sky. He looked terrified for a moment, probably having been expecting one of the NPC’s but only slightly relaxed seeing Dream. 

“Dream! Did you get George’s message too?” He asked worriedly, the mayor said nothing about the death message. 

Dream nodded, grabbing his arm and gently tugging on his sleeve and the two of them continued their pelt through the jungle until they stumbled into the same clearing from earlier. The wind had picked up, and despite the dense forest breaking it up, it still battered at the leaves and bushes with a muffled howl. George was on his hands and knees panting, and sobbing, beside him was Doc. Dream rushed to his side, letting George lean on him trembling like the branches in the increasing winds. Scar was at Doc’s side holding his wrist and it was like a weight was suddenly lifted from Scar’s shoulders. 

“He’s still alive.” He breathed softly, a few tears pricking at the wizards green eyes. 

George looked up, cheeks damp with tears from Dream’s shoulders where he was still clinging to the much taller boy, “W-what?”

Scar gave a shaky smile, “His heart, it’s still beating. We need to get him back to town hall now though. But. . .I don’t have my elytra, and our boat is all the way back at the shore.”

Dream looked between the two, “I’ll take him back.” 

Scar looked shocked by the offer, and George slowly peeled himself from Dream’s hoodie, standing up, and helping the other lift Doc shakily to his feet. Dream came over, and Doc’s limp form slumped into his arms, his black hair messy with a stick and a few leaves. Bruises, and scratches littered his body. His labcoat was torn as well, and by the looks of it his robotic eye had been damaged, and a crack ran across the now empty glass orb. Dream shifted him in his arms, Doc was probably one of the biggest hermits, and was only a few inches shorter than Dream compared to people like George who was well below a foot shorter, and was much easier to carry. 

Regardless, he was able to shift and get the creeper onto his back so his arms were limply draped over his shoulders, and Dream was holding him piggy back style. He nodded to the other two, and took off up into the skies which were growing dimmer with an oncoming storm. He had to regain his balance once breaking through the treetops because suddenly a gale of wind was beating at his sides, and tearing at his clothes. 

He managed to right himself without letting the unconscious german slip, and began his journey back to town hall. It wasn’t easy, Doc was bigger than anyone he was used to carrying just short distances, and he wasn’t used to carrying someone as far as the distance between the two islands. The wind added to the difficulty, with its freezing fingers constantly clawing at his feathers and his clothes, and throwing off his flight. He was only a few hundred blocks from the massive building, the lush green island below him when the thick clouds began to blot out the sky and shed their weights. He was forced to land. 

He came to the ground just a little ways away from the steps leading up to the hall. A large barge was at his side, its glass and wooden framing standing strong and looming, it seemed much more detailed and oriental compared to several of the other shops he had flown over. The rain was starting to come down in sheets, so he quickly ducked inside into the greenhouse-like building. Chests were scattered along his sides, as well as a warm campfire lit in the center, and little nooks to the sides in the middle with their own displays, so he shuffled over, and lay Doc down against the side, there was a bed tucked away he noticed as he walked in. 

He lifted Doc and lay him down on the blue sheeted bed, and exhaustion was starting to pull at his limbs. While as a Watcher he didn’t need nearly as much sleep as a normal player would, the constant flights, the combat, and now carrying Doc several thousand blocks had him beat. He sighed softly, settling down next to the unconscious man, and looked around. He lit up spotting a small box labeled with potions, and a quick rifle through quickly gave him the treasure he was seeking. 

A ruby red bottle full of thick viscous liquid, a healing potion. Only one though. He swirled it for a moment, watching the contained and brewed magic swirl inside the glass for a moment before walking back to Doc. He lifted his head a bit, crading it with one arm as he semi force-fed him the drink. He knew from experience it was a bitter substance, and was warm when drinking it, but he also knew the effect it could have on a player. Once the bottle was empty, he set it to the side and watched over Doc as the wounds began to fade. The bruises melted from their angry and painful blues and purples, to lighter yellows, before some of the smaller ones faded entirely. The other probably had a few broken ribs, as it wasn’t uncommon after CPR, and the fall, and his wrist was bent awkwardly. Hopefully Scar would be better at healing than Dream was, since Doc was still entirely unresponsive. 

But he did still have his own magic.

He stood beside Doc, and gently rested his palms on his chest, feeling for the familiar burn and warmth of his magic. It had been a while since he had worked with healing magic, but until Scar returned, it was his best option. He took a deep breath, and closed his eyes as he tried to sense any of the invisible wounds he wouldn’t be able to see just looking at the man. It was barely a few heartbeats before he found the sharp jolt of four broken ribs, and a broken wrist. He focused on the wounds, summoning the swirling electric like magic to his hands. 

A green hue illuminated the room inside the barge, lighting up Dream’s skin, and filtering through the gray glass panes, spilling out into the darkening world and through the rain. The magic pulsed through his muscles, pulling at his remaining energy, and feeding it into repairing tissues and bones. He finally pulled his hands off panting as he fell to his knees at the bedside. The gentle sound of Doc’s stronger and more even breaths blended in with the constant pattering of rain as the heaven poured down. The clouds seemed to weep with him in the moment. 

He fell asleep leaning against the mattress, letting himself be lost in the sheets of rain coming from the roiling clouds. 

He was awoken with a harsh start as a loud boom shook the ground around him, and his vision was quickly blinded with a flash of lightning, thankfully no fire followed it, but the storm had fully set in. He rubbed his eyes, trying to remove the after images and looked around groggily. 

There were golden lights peeking from a few windows in the town hall, and Doc was slowly sitting up beside him, seeming disoriented, and just as groggy as he was. But most importantly the creeper was awake, and he was alive. Dream found himself giving a sigh of relief as he slowly uncurled himself from his awkward sleeping position. He yawned and stretched his aching wings which were tensed from his long flight and poor decision of rest. 

“How are you feeling man?” 

Doc experimentally stretched his arms out in front of him, “Like I hit with a truck and then ran over. . .twice.” 

He chuckled a bit as he laid back against the window, and could feel the cold seeping in even through his thick hoodie, “Well, I’m glad to see you’re awake.” 

Doc seemed to be more aware of who he was with suddenly, and he watched as Doc twitched, tensing in the shoulders slightly and looked accusingly down at Dream, “Where’s everyone else?” 

Dream felt a bit hurt, but brushed it off, hiding his expression, as he ran a hand through his hair, “Scar, George, and Stress are travelling back from the jungle, Sapnap, not-Grian, and Mumbo are in town hall with Welsknight, and we’re . . .here in this shop.” 

Doc frowned slightly, still seeming suspicious, “This is Grian’s barge, the real Grian’s.” 

“Well we’re in Grian’s barge then, I brought you back.” 

“Just me?” 

“You were in critical condition, and we didn’t have time to waste just rowing you back.” 

“You. . .brought me back to save me?” Doc cocked his head, and Dream nodded. 

“Yeah, I flew you back, and a storm set in, so I landed, and found shelter in here. There was only one healing potion, so I did what I could. Does anything still hurt?” 

The german looked shocked and his mouth opened and closed for a minute or two, before he shook his head, “I feel exhausted, and kinda sore everywhere, but. . no not really. Not at least for what I would expect for falling.” 

“That’s good, you were pretty fucked up when we found you.” 

Doc chuckled a little, he seemed to be one of the only hermits who didn’t mind his language, “I fell three hundred blocks through the jungle, I’m more shocked I’m not dead.” 

“You and me both, we were lucky to get to you in time.” Dream smiled with him, “I’m glad you’re alright.”

“You are?” 

Dream sat up straighter looking at Doc, who’s robotic eye was now lit up again, despite the crack in the glass, “I’m not some malicious entity Doc. I didn’t want to hurt anyone when I arrived, and it was never my intention to kill Cleo, or Tango. I don’t care if you believe me or not, since I know how you feel about me, and I’m not trying to change that, but I want you to at least hear me out.” 

Doc studied him for a moment, “Okay.”

“If I knew how to bring them back I would, things got out of hand, when I attacked Mumbo, that. . .it was like I was no longer in control of my own actions, and I feel awful about killing Tango and Cleo. It wasn’t my intention, I promise that. Like I said, believe me or not, it doesn’t matter since once we get your friends out of the closet, me and George and Sapnap are leaving and it will be like we were never here, and you can forget about us.” Dream sighed softly, “Do you feel strong enough to walk into town hall?” 

“It’s pouring rain.” 

“Yeah it is.” Dream smiled slightly with a quiet laugh, “But it's your choice, it’ll be a lot warmer in there.”

Doc nodded, so Dream stood a bit stiffly, before offering his gloved hand to Doc, who stumbled slightly out of bed, and still leaned heavily on Dream. The two picked their way back to the front of the barge, and Dream paused before slipping off his hoodie, and giving it to the other. 

“What? What are you doing?” 

“Dude, it’s shitty weather, and you were just basically brought back from a perma - death, your temperature is atrocious and the rain will only make it worse.” 

Doc reluctantly took it, but also seemed to relax a bit once the warm clothing was on since his lab coat had been destroyed and ruined. Once the two were outside, Dream raised his wings like an umbrella, the watertight feathers allowing for the droplets to just roll off and keep the both of them dry as they hobbled towards the town hall. Neither was certain how long they had been asleep, but as they walked in through the large opening into the room with the diamond throne, Scar, Stress,Wels, and Mumbo were all sitting together and chatting quietly. NPG was asleep on a set of blankets in the office they had left him in, and all the awake hermits lept to their feet seeing the two green boys walk in. Stress and Scar dashed over and replaced Dream as the man’s support, walking him inside and to the lit fireplace in the office, and as soon as the weight of Doc was gone, the new weight of exhaustion returned. 

He shook out his wings, water flicking off the feather tips as he flapped them a few times. He had been wearing a simple black tank top under his hoodie, which didn’t provide a lot of warmth against the chill from the wind and rain. He left the hermits to themselves, and climbed the stairs to the second office that Scar had given to them, where he assumed George and Sapnap probably were. Sure enough as he opened the door, both boys lept to their feet and ran towards him. 

“DREAM!” They shouted in tandem as they rushed to his side and Sapnap slung an arm around Dream, letting him lean on the tanned male. 

“Thanks guys.” 

“Are you alright? You look like shit.” Sap said bluntly, in which George punched him in his other arm. 

“Yeah, I’m just really tired,” Dream dismissed as he grabbed a blanket and pillow from their stash, “Doc is alright though, he’ll be fine hopefully. Nothing is broken anymore, and if Scar can heal his remaining wounds, he’ll be fine by morning.” 

The two exchanged glances and George grabbed his own blanket settling into his spot, “You found healing potions?” 

Dream didn’t want to explain everything, so he just nodded. Him helping Doc wasn’t some heroic act for attention, or for an act of trust or anything. He didn’t even care if Doc realized exactly what had happened or not, what mattered was that he had been able to help. He had been able to save someone for once, for once in his life he had helped someone. He closed his eyes, laying on his stomach, and promptly passed out on the floor. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm not a totally heartless murderer :)


	23. Announcement

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Temporary hiatus

Hey everyone! Sorry to break the flow and disappoint without a new chapter but I've got an announcement.

I'm temporary pausing this book.

Now don't worry! I'm absolutely still continuing this, and still have an end goal. This isn't goodbye. However, I've been super busy lately, and really stressed, and my helper with this book has been MIA (by no means is this her fault at all, she's just as busy) so I'm hesitant to push forward with the next bits without her since the plot is going to steer heavily into the Dream SMP and some huge conflicts.

And to be honest? I love this book, and I'm excited to show everyone where I'm taking it, but its also a very heavy handed book to write, and my other currently ongoing fics are a lot more ... Comfort based, so they're easier for me to sit down and write at the moment. (This is also partially why The Magic That Fuels Us has been paused bc it deals with some homophobia and rn I can't bring myself to write it).

So I promise this isn't the end, we'll still see who is on the right side of history, and who truly deserves some comeuppance.

And friends, I'm not going anywhere, I'll still be updating this probably come December ish, and I'll still be updating "My Secret Demon Boy" and I've got another book I really want to publish since it's different from any of these, and going to be focused on Tommy, Wilbur, and Tubbo :)

In the mean time, I'd really appreciate (if you haven't already) you going and checking out my other books!

Diamonds In The Dark - A skephalo fanfic completed

Not All Of Us Are Cruel - a Bdoc Hermitcraft fic completed

My Secret Demon Boy - skephalo ongoing

Thanks for the understanding everyone <3 

-Nines


	24. A Time Of Rest

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> No lyrics sorry.

Dream was awoken by someone gently shaking him, so he blearily pushed them off, and slowly sat up, trying to get his bearings. Everything felt sore from his frantic flight to and from the islands, and then draining himself with healing magic. It’s not that he regretted his actions in any sense, he just wished he wasn’t paying in such a physical toll kinda way. He rubbed an eye with a yawn as his eyes adjusted to the still dark room. Dawn hadn’t yet begun, and his eyes focused on a greenish figure in front of him. The deep german voice confirmed his suspicions. 

“Dream. . .I wanted to talk with you. Privately.” 

He chuckled quietly, looking around the room, which was cut off from the other hermits, as well as his two friends sleeping like lumps on a log at the moment, but shrugged, and stood up, stretching a wing to try and ease the aching muscles. As the pair left the main hall, it was still raining outside, the heavy thunderstorm still angrily pouring down above them, except this time it seemed to have been tamed slightly, as only the sound of water against tiles and rooftops interrupted the silence. 

“Well, what is it?” He settled down on one of the stone steps and Doc did the same. 

“Why did you do it?” 

“Do what?” 

“Save me. Why? After how we’ve treated you, and how I treated you, our fights, your actions, it just. . .it doesn’t make sense.” 

Dream fell quiet for a moment, “Just because we’ve fought doesn’t mean that I won’t still act to protect you.” 

“You are a far cry from a protector,” the creeper snorted. 

He winced slightly, and looked away, instead turning to the dimly lit shopping district, in the distance he could see the gently bobbing end crystals, so he quickly shifted his gaze elsewhere as a shudder rose in him, but not from the cold. 

“I - I know, but I’m still a Watcher, and I was still given my status for a reason, I’ve fucked up, I won’t lie. But I’m trying.” 

“You killed two hermits. . .” Doc spoke quietly, less harshly now. 

“And I can barely remember it. Doc - this server its -” 

“Infected, yeah I know.” He sighed softly and put his hands in his lap, “Trust me I’ve known since the NPC’s started showing up, taking the hermits away from us. Once we have Xisuma back, we’ll be able to set things right, and as long as you’re not here for the rollback, everything should return to normal.” 

“I certainly don’t plan on being here.” Dream’s skin still burned slightly where the green spots had started appearing on the back of his hand, and he slowly slid a glove off to inspect it, “We’ve already been infected, but I don’t know this virus. . .it’s nothing like what I’ve seen before, and now it's hurting my friends too.” 

Doc nodded quietly prompting him to continue. 

“We’ve been here three weeks, and I’m already showing signs, I know I am. I keep seeing these - “ He stopped himself, his past server was not a box of trauma about to be opened right now, “I keep getting these nightmares about my past, and I feel I don’t even have control over my own body in combat. It’s like something else is in control. Something a lot more. . .aggressive.” 

“You can say murderous.” 

Dream sighed and nodded, “Yeah well. . .I don’t like killing, even outside of permadeath servers. I’ll fight as needed, but I’m no pvp star, I’m a far cry from it.” He laughed dryly, “I wanted to save you because. . .well because I wanted to show myself more than anything that I care. That - that those actions, those void lock kills, weren’t me. I mean they were, but I wanted to show myself that I’m not. . .a bad person. I wanted to for once in my life actually help instead of harm.” 

Doc studied him for a long moment with his mismatched eyes, “Do you think you’re a bad person?” 

“I. . .don’t know.” 

“Well we all make mistakes. Some. . .a lot more drastic than others, but we’re all human at our core, regardless of our race. Half mob, Watcher, Hybrid, Admin, hell I’m half creeper, but I’m not bad.” 

“You’ve not ever killed someone permanently.” Dream shook his head, “Plus I know you still don’t really trust me.” 

“About as far as I can throw you.” The dark haired man joked, “But, in seriousness, I want to say thanks.” 

“Why?” 

“Because, while you’ve done bad things, I don’t think that makes you a bad person. As much as we butt heads, I think it’s because we’re a lot alike in a sense.” 

Dream cocked his head, blond hair falling in his face, “How do you mean?” 

Doc smiled a little, “Headstrong, stubborn, planners, leaders, go-getters y’know? I guess I see a lot of myself in you, and to be honest that scares me. . . .I worry that I’ll hurt people too, I know I hurt Bdubs in the past.” 

“Who’s that?” 

“He was. . .a good friend of mine for a while.” Doc looked down at his hands, running his metallic one through his hair, “I wanted more, and for a bit we were, but we kept fighting over property, and then I got busy, so we hardly spoke, and then all of this happened, and he was taken from me.” 

Dream nodded slowly, “You two were. ..partners?” 

Doc’s lip twitched upwards in a small but sad smile, “Yeah, a few months worth of dating, and it all feels as if it was ripped away. When he really needed me, I ran, I hid, and he paid the price for it.” 

“You blame yourself for his capture don’t you?” Dream asked quietly. 

“Of course I do.” Doc looked up and shook his head, “Why the hell wouldn’t I? I could’ve done so much, and until. . .until we caught that son of a bitch I thought he was dead.” 

Dream wasn’t sure what to say, he had never really had very many long term or serious partners. He just never wanted to let himself get close to people, especially in a way that would only hurt them in the end. In a way, he could relate with George. The two had never actually been together, but he still cared for the british boy. In a way that’s different from Sap, or anyone else on the smp.

“What about you?” Doc’s words snapped him from his thoughts. 

“Huh?” 

“What about you? Why did you come here anyways? You’re a Watcher, sure, but well. .I doubt you’re a part of them.”

He sighed, “No I’m not, I was exiled a while ago after. .well my last server. Me and my brother worked to make it, he put so much care into it, and it was a cross race. We had admins, watchers, players, even a few hybrids. But. . .things happened, and it went downhill. My brother had a fiance, a girl he cared a lot about, but she, as well as almost all of my family were trapped when the server crashed.” 

“You. . .you ran a server that crashed?” 

He knew how absurd it sounded, servers crashing, properly crashing was almost unheard of. They were rare, and quite literally, world ending events. But he couldn’t lie, or keep it secret, truthfully there wasn’t much reason to. 

“Yeah, the End, as in  _ The End _ managed to somehow infect our codes, we lost just about everything that day. I lost my friends, my sister, my dad, and later on my brother.” 

Doc scooted over a bit so they were closer, “That sucks. I’m really sorry.” 

Dream shrugged, “Its. . fine, I’ve spoken with people about it. But after that I never wanted to see a server fall because of some corruption like that. So when I saw this. . .I know I shouldn’t have, but I stepped in.” 

“Maybe you shouldn’t have, but you’re here now. So we’ve ought to make the most of it right?” He nudged Dream, “Look, this. . .doesn’t really make us friends, but I’m glad we talked, for both our sakes.” 

Dream gave a half smile, it felt odd having his mask off, especially in a server he wasn’t as familiar with, but he was slowly warming up to the hermits, and feeling more and more like trusting them. Even if they didn’t really trust him. He watched Doc go, and called out one last time. 

“Doc. . .don’t-don’t tell the others what happened. .what I did for you.” 

“Why not? Won’t that help Scar and Stress trust you?” 

“Because that doesn’t matter.” He shook his head, “I didn’t do it for trust, I did it to save someone. To keep them alive when I failed too many.” 

The creeper watched him for a moment, seeming to try and study his expression before nodding slightly, “Alright. But you should get some more rest, I’ve seen how exhausted X becomes after healing magic, and he didn’t fly over four thousand blocks one way between islands in a storm.” 

Dream laughed softly, and stood, the awning of the town hall had prevented them from getting wet, but the wind was picking up again, and causing the cold to set in again. So he forced himself to his feet and the two walked inside together. Doc shook his hand with a silent nod, before returning to Scar’s office where the hermits had been sleeping. He went his own way, returning to the spare room they’d been given, where he grabbed his few small pillows, and laid down on the ground besides George. His left wing settling over the both of them like a fuzzy blanket. 

He wasn’t sure how many hours of proper rest he got, but when he did finally wake up, the sun was pouring in between the blinds, and George was nowhere to be found. Sapnap either. He sat up, and rolled his shoulder, sore muscles, and a hard floor did not exactly mix well, and a part of him almost wished he had stolen a bed from somewhere to sleep on. But it was too late now. He looked around, realizing his friends were gone, and he got up. Throwing the thin blanket off as he left the room, tugging on his green hoodie over his hair, and clipping his mask on before pulling the hood up. As he plodded down the stairs, voices directed him to where everyone else was. 

  
  


Gremlin child was sitting, hands bound behind him looking grumpy with the hermits around him in a circle. Mumbo was a few feet away, fiddling with his suit buttons as he tried to discreetly listen in, but his eavesdropping was pretty obvious. George and Sapnap were still absent, so as he made his way down the steps, the pale dark haired hermit-bot looked up and waved him over. 

He carefully made his way over, and sat down a few feet from Mumbo as he did so. Neither of them really trusted the other, which was perfectly fair in honesty, but either way, they were the only two not either absent, or part of the current ring discussion. So it forced the two together. 

“Do you know where George and Sapnap are?” He finally asked after a few minutes of tense silence passed. 

The mustachio man shook his head, “Not a clue, but I think Scar said something about a supply run? I’m not sure.” 

“Supplies?” 

“Food, armor, some weapons, maybe even some explosives for traps and such y’know.” 

His stomach growled at the mention of food. It had been almost an entire two days since he’d last eaten, having missed any meals yesterday between the frantic flights and near death of Doc, food simply hadn’t been a priority, nor really an accommodation for anyone. It had been a while since anyone made a food raid, so it was probably good if the pair were getting more for everyone. 

“Food sounds good.” 

Mumbo chuckled a little, “It certainly seems like it to me.” 

The two exchanged a half smile as the hermits finally dispersed, with Welsknight hefting Goblin Grian to his feet, a hand around his arm, with the glove now disabled thanks to Doc, the boy was left almost entirely powerless. Scar looked over Dream for a moment. 

“Once we have everyone back, we’ll have a team meeting. We can get free our non android friends, and hopefully from there we can find a solution for our more metallic hermits.” Scar sighed as he put his hands in his yellow pant suit pockets. 

Mumbo huffed, “I’m right here y’know.” 

“Sorry Mumbo, but it's true. NPG here says we don’t need the concrete glove to enter the closet dimension. . .which is what he made to lock up all of the hermits that have gone missing we thought were dead.” 

Mumbo’s whole face lit up at that comment and he nodded happily. Finally about two hours later, George and Sap returned, hefting three shulker boxes of supplies. Shulkers were something none of the dream team was very familiar with, but they’d quickly caught on and adjusted since it seemed the hermits used them so readily. With that, Doc spread his arms, clapping to get everyone’s attention. 

“Who’s ready for a closet raid?” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for no lyrics this time around but hey I'm back baby! This isn't a promise of frequent updates for this though lol. Anyways see y'all next chapter!


	25. Chapter 25

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> No, I'll never get away  
> Cause if I try to stray  
> It only holds me closer  
> No, I'll never get away  
> I'll have it any way  
> I'll never stop

George shifted the shulker box in his arms that was loaded with golden carrots. When he and Sap had found some in one of the many elaborate and grand shops of the server, he had honestly been a little confused in how they worked. Nobody on the SMP had gone to the end dimension any time recently, and frankly even then, he had never been to an end city ever in his life personally, so shulker boxes were like some revolutionary concept in his mind when they had gathered the supplies. Although admittedly they made item transportation exponentially easier if he was being honest. When they got back to the town hall, they distributed the food, as well as the gear they’d gone out and found, and began discussing the plans almost immediately. 

Dream and Doc were the obvious leaders of the conversation, other than Welsknight, Doc claimed he was a great strategist, and the people who would normally be with him were currently either brainwashed robots, or trapped away in some pocket dimension. Dream in George’s mind was also a pretty obvious choice for a leader, him and Techno were pretty much the only ‘equals’ on their server in his mind. 

Once they had planned everything, they set to work, Doc was an excellent redstone engineer, and so was Mumbo apparently. Frankly George barely understood it, and even when Fundy (who, while no judgement, was probably not nearly as good as these two at redstone if George was being honest) had tried to explain it, he never really understood the complex machinery. They had built a large trap that they could set outside of town hall to keep the base secure, and it needed a passcode to be disabled, meaning anyone leaving or entering would be snagged by it unless they knew how to stop it. 

Sap, Dream, Doc, Scar, Stress, Wels, and George loaded up in diamond armor, with the occasional addition of Netherite where the hermits could spare it. Doc and Stress both had a sword, George and Sap were given a diamond one as well. Dream had his personal Netherite axe from their home server he’d brought, and Scar was armed with a rather unwieldy bow. 

At a glance, their team was rather formidable. George and Sap were given Elytra initially, but declined them, leaving them as the ground team, which Wels had offered to join. Doc, Scar and Dream were all going to be in the air, and Stress had apologized and joined them. Even though everyone said it was fine, since having air support would be crucial for traversing the jungle. Mumbo and NPG weren’t given a choice, and were put with the ground team. Despite Mumbo’s cooperation, nobody really had a lot of trust for the android engineer. 

So with that they set off, Doc reignited the Nether portal in the shopping district, and gave the coordinates to Wels and George for their destination before taking off in a burst of fireworks with the rest of his team following. George and Sap were in a boat, Stress and NPG in another, and finally Mumbo and Wels in the last as they all were racing down the tunnel built with ice towards the jungle, and Grian’s (the original one, not the gremlin imposter) first base which the hermits kept calling a “hobbit hole”. Which is where NPG claimed that the entrance to the Closet was. 

It took almost an extra hour for the ground team to reach the location compared to everyone else, who had already started sorting out the land, disabling any redstone machinery, since that could be used against them, and finding the hobbit hole’s closet door that had been described by NPG. Dream was standing at the entrance, Doc, Stress, and Scar were nowhere to be seen. Dream’s wings sagged behind him, and had his back turned to the portal. 

The area was a small bowl in the rolling hills of the jungle. Hills on almost all sides that were small and rounded on top. Wooden beams and rounded walls were neatly nestled into the landscape with glass creating a very open and homey feel to the various tunnel-like entrances around in the base. There was a small greenhouse sort of structure on the one area that was a lower, flatter hill, and inside were dozens of empty white beds, a deactivated golem rested on top, it’s metallic body rusted and it’s head tilted to the side, the glowing eyes dark and empty. Dried blood splatters and abandoned work posts marked what used to be a trading area in the small greenhouse structure. George looked around, both in awe, and confusion. 

The storm hadn’t quite let up just yet, instead drizzling lightly, which created a humid and heavy atmosphere. The jungle trees around them were lush, and water clung to the large leaves, however immediately around the starter base, all the trees had been cleared, leaving everything and everyone damp. The lush green environment matched Dream’s bright hoodie as well, making his dark wings stick out like a sore thumb. 

Carefully, the british boy picked his way over to the Watcher, resting a hand on him, which caused Dream to flinch, and pull away quickly, he had his mask on, but was breathing heavily, and while George couldn’t see his eyes, he had a feeling they had a wild look to them. 

“Are you okay?” 

Dream stared at him for a beat, “Y-yeah, just got a little . .little lost in my head I think.” 

“You don’t sound okay.” 

“I’m fine.” 

George gave him a worried look as he adjusted his glasses before sighing, being around Dream seemed to be having a strange effect on him. His mind felt hazier, his limbs felt numb, he made his way back to Sap, flexing his hand experimentally as the fuzzy feeling and static to his fingers started to fade. He frowned at this, he knew there was some sort of infection, and he somehow had gotten it, but he didn’t understand it very well. But . . . Dream had been acting strange lately. More violent and brash than usual, more calculated, more  _ cruel _ . He’d seen Dream’s face when he stabbed Mumbo, and there was no thought or life behind his eyes. It was like some sort of deep rooted instinct. Just the thought sent shivers down his spine. Would he become ruthless like that? Would he lose his moral abilities? A cough and a voice jerked him from his thoughts as everyone arrived and Sapnap cleared his throat. 

“Hey, you doing okay?” 

George looked up, and nodded, “Yeah, I’ll be okay.” 

His friend still seemed worried, but let the topic drop for now as Doc gathered everyone closer. Lifting NPG none too nicely from the boat, and holding one of his currently bound arms as he hauled the small thing from the boat. NPG snapped some angry verbal insults, that were still shockingly PG as he spoke. Doc just grunted and gestured for everyone to go inside. 

The german creeper led them all inside the seeming main area. There was a small tunnel to their right that led down, and had a rail system in it. As well as a sign that reads  _ messages to Mumbo _ above it. George raised an eyebrow, the dark oak vanishing downwards and to the left into the tunnel. Next to the tunnel was a bell that had cobwebs clinging to it, and dusty chests that seemed like they hadn’t been opened in a very long time. In fact the minecart track seemed duller and older as well. Some of the metal had started to rust, and cobwebs clinging to the lanterns on the ceiling. This place hadn’t been occupied in a very long time, perhaps even well before everything started that caused Dream to bring him and Sapnap here. To their right was more structure, and in the hall on both sides were dozens of chests labelled in item frames, some were empty, all were equally unkempt. 

Doc began leading them through the area, and through a few broad hallways, all with a domed rounded roof above them, and built with a mix of birch and spruce woods. Eventually they opened the door to a small room that seemed like a bedroom. 

It was sparse, barely more than a bed covering the flooring. Compared to everywhere else, it was laughably simple, especially for a bedroom. There was a rolled up carpet in the corner, and drapes pulled to the sides of a small window that overlooked the small bowl of the area. The bed was made, but didn’t seem touched for a long time. A thin film of dust coated the single chest and anvil next to the bed, the anvil had cracks deeply set throughout its top. 

“It’s almost sad.” Dream said softly, causing Stress to give him a strange look. So he began to explain, “Back on my server, the Dream SMP, our homes, our builds, our bases aren’t nearly as lavish. There’s no starter bases really, and there are only a few farms around on the entire thing, So to see a place abandoned like this, these resources, this beautiful build, it’s a little sad.” 

Wels nodded with a simple shrug, “All of us hermits have a ‘starter base’ usually it's pretty simple and is just built to put a roof over our heads for the first bit of the season. Then we start work on our actual bases which tend to take several months, for some of us, even over a year.” 

“That seems so time consuming.” Sap shrugged, “I mean why spend so much time building? Don’t people grief? Steal? Or you know, come and bother you, or whatever else?” 

Wels shook his head, “Not really, most of us just do our own thing, I mean we’re all friends as well, and there’s no stealing allowed on the server, or griefing.” 

“So do we, but isn’t it a hard rule to uphold?” 

“No?”

Every hermit turned to the three boys with confusion, even NPG who was probably the most violent of them seemed a bit confused. So Dream sighed and began to explain what Sapnap meant and was talking about. 

“We’ve had several wars of sorts on our server.” 

“So have we.” Stress smiled a little like it was a good memory, “Like the civil war from last season!” 

The other hermits chuckled and nodded at that, “The capture the flag game to solve it was so much fun! Even with all the pranks and such. I mean it started as a prank war.” 

All of the Dream SMP members frowned slightly, “You guys .. .don’t fight?” Sap asked after several seconds. 

“No why on earth would we battle, and you know fight?” Stress asked, confused. 

“That’s what we do. The first war was the war of the discs, and the current one we’re dealing with is the whole L’manberg independence bullshit.” 

“Language,” she quietly corrected him as every hermit stared as if appalled at the idea of a genuine war. 

“Don’t you guys try other things? Like talking it out, or negotiating?” 

“Yeah but they refuse to apologize, eventually we have to let the peace talk cease.”

“Are we actually going to go to the closet, or have you guys just dragged me here for your own amusement?” Gremlin Grian cut in with a huff, stopping the conversation from going any farther, and Doc’s lip curled slightly. 

“Fine then smart alek, why don’t you open the damn closet then?” 

Stress huffed another correction as NPG rolled his eyes and shifted his shoulders, “I need my hands for that.” 

Doc hesitated, but after a moment, still holding his arm, cut the lead bindings around his wrists. NPG turned his hands over, rubbing the red skin around his wrists for a moment, glancing at everyone around him. He blinked for a few minutes, if he wanted, he could certainly try and run. For a moment he thought about it, but stopped. This was something he’d grappled with several times over, and now was a chance to show he wasn’t evil.

NPG didn’t actually want to cause harm or pain, things had gotten out of hand back then. .. way,  _ way _ out of hand. He slowly reached out to the brass knob, his blue eyes shimmering. Opening the door to the locked area would update all of the hermit’s data, it would allow them free. But most importantly, it would also mean that NPG would have to face his creator. . .Grian. 

He had never explained it to the other hermits, and especially not to the Dream Team, but he’d been locked away in the small enclosure of the closet for years.  _ Years _ . He had thought he’d been forgotten, and it wasn’t until Mumbo came along and freed him did anything change. For all he knew Grian would’ve never freed him. He wasn’t stupid, he’d heard how the boy talked about his half robotic counterpart, and it was never very kindly either. 

NPG took a deep breath, closing his eyes as he carefully turned the handle, biting his lip with nervousness as he did so. Unable to meet the other hermits around him who were free, who’d never been caught. Then in a swift motion, he opened the closet door.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We back with the lyrics :)   
> Do you guys like the lyrics? Or do you prefer no lyrics?


End file.
